When Waiting is Done
by SorainaSkye
Summary: EdWin: "Edward Elric is the person that I love" - Winry takes the first steps of an unimaginable journey... Mangaverse, Spoilers up to Chapter 85. Also Royai, AlMei, LingRan
1. Intentions

I really shouldn't be doing this. I am far too behind on my other stories to be putting up ANOTHER chapter story. But I've had this typed for a few days and my resistance is weak. I told myself that I would just type up this story, and then not post it until I had caught up. As you can see, having this story actually written out wore me down.

No clue how long this will be. But I've got the storyline mapped out, so I should finish it fairly quickly. It is VERY much EdWin.

DISCLAIMER: FMA does not belong to me. If it did, the movie would have ended differently. And started differently, and had a different storyline...

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter One

Intentions

Blonde eyebrows pulled together over crystalline blue eyes. A muttering, that to a passerby might seem like a string of profanities (though it was really scientific terms) came from her. Fingers drummed on the table, one hand twiddling a screwdriver between her fingers.

Winry sighed in irritation, slamming the screwdriver down on the table. "No use," she muttered, standing, and throwing her tied back hair over her shoulder. She couldn't concentrate, not now. Sighing more softly, she looked out the window, at the bright sunshine filtering through it. Walking toward it, slowly, she placed her fingers in the path of that sunlight, feeling the warmth. It really wasn't like her to be broody...

No, that wasn't exactly true. Perhaps it wasn't 'brooding' per-say, but she did spend much of her time thinking. Absently, she blew a few strands of hair out of her eyes. Dropping her hand, eyes downcast, she walked to the window and opened it, propping her elbows up on the sill. Her head rested in her hands, a light breeze playing across her face.

"It's only been a week..." She muttered to herself. "It's not like they haven't kept in touch for longer than this before..." Three years, in fact, now that she thought on it. She sighed again. Movement down the road caught her eye and she immediately shrank back, so that she couldn't be seen from the window. Though she could see her grandmother, and work on a few of her projects privately, no one else was allowed to know that she was there. It had been difficult, knowing that the people she had left behind in Rush Valley would be worried sick- she hadn't called and had hardly left word. Winry couldn't help but bite her lip as she realized that she had really done what Ed and Al had always done to her. It was odd- to suddenly sympathize, but feel angry with oneself too.

But still, there had been no word, no whisper of their doings- and she supposed the downside to being in the 'know' was that she worried more, knowing exactly what danger they got themselves into. She supposed that she couldn't have expected anything else though. They were on the run from the military after all, and to the knowledge of the military, Winry herself was still Scar's captive. Ed was working for Greed (who used to be Ling), Al's body and soul being pulled away, and all these warnings to leave the country- sometimes; it was almost too much to take. And the fact that she was no longer able to take visits to them was hard too. As much as she knew it was necessary, and as happy as she was to see her grandmother, Winry couldn't help but miss the times that she had been traveling with Ed and Al- knowing they were safe, and keeping up with things- to an extent.

A knock on the front door downstairs made her jump. A smile flitted across her face as she heard her grandmother's grumbling on her way to answer the door. Hushed voices filtered up the stairs, and then her grandmother called up to her- "Winry! It's all right, you can come down."

Winry blinked. The only way her grandmother would tell her it was safe was if it was someone like Riza Hawkeye, or Ling/Greed with Ed or Al...

Without really sure what was going through her head, Winry ran down the stairs, hand slipping on the banister as she thrust herself down the steps. A flash of gold caught her eye and she dared to hope- "Ed? Al? Is everything ov-"

She stopped at the foot of the stairs. For what seemed to be the hundredth time, Van Hoenhiem stood in her doorway, looking up at her.

Winry dropped her eyes to the floor. Her hand gripped the banister as she felt her heart sink yet again. "Oh..." She said, voice very low. "Hn," Hoenhiem pushed his glasses farther up his face. "It's fine. I can understand the sentiments."

She nodded, once, and let go of the banister, feet landing on the floor. Another thought struck her and she looked up, suddenly. "Did you meet with Ed? Did you tell him everything he needed to know? What about Al, did you see him too? Are they all right? Ed's automail isn't broken, is it? If it is then I'll-"

"Whoa, whoa," Hoenhiem held up his hands. He smiled a little. "Yes, I met with Ed. And Al, actually. There were some minor scrapes, but everything is fine." He chuckled a little. "Those boys can't go anywhere without getting into _some_ sort of trouble..."

Winry found herself forcing a smile. "Right." She rubbed the back of her neck in slight embarrassment. Silence enveloped them. The seconds ticked by, and the sound of Den scratching behind his ears suddenly seemed louder than normal. Pinako raised an eyebrow and sighed, shaking her head.

"Well then," she said, sticking her pipe in her mouth. She looked up at the towering Hoenhiem. "I take you're not here to just stand in my doorway? No? Well, in that case-"

She turned around, gesturing for him to follow her into the kitchen. "A drink perhaps, for old times." She turned back toward the still stationary Hoenhiem. Raising an eyebrow, she said sardonically- "Word has it that you've got a battle to fight."

"Uhh..." Wordlessly, the slightly stunned man followed the much smaller (though obviously more in control) woman.

As soon as they disappeared around the corner, Winry sank to the ground, sitting on the last step and curling her legs up to her chest, head in her hands. "Stupid," she muttered. "Of course it's not over. Ed and Al would have come here right away, and demanded that apple pie..." She couldn't stop the smile from crossing her face as she remembered Ed's parting words.

"_...So bake me an apple pie, and keep it warm!"_

"And I would throw my wrench at them," Winry muttered, closing her eyes and smiling even more, a scene working itself in her head. "For saying that first thing when they got here. And then I'd hug them senseless...so hard that Ed would need a new automail neck!" She leaned back against the stair rail, laughing a little. "And I would cry tears of happiness, just like Ed promised..." She murmured.

"_I'll come back when all this "promised" crap is over..."_

She sighed again, her smile fading. "He said he would come back..." She whispered, voice quivering slightly. "And he will. He has to."

She stood up, feeling her hair fluttering about her. Running a hand over her forehead, she made her way into the kitchen, where her grandmother and Hoenhiem had gone.

Poking her head around the doorway, Winry saw that the two adults were holding a conversation. Pinako caught her eye and nodded for her to come in. Biting her lip a little, Winry came in, walking to the counter where one of her many toolboxes lay, to give some kind of reason for being in the kitchen.

"So you said that you've seen Ed?" Pinako questioned, and Winry grinned, her back toward them, wanting to run over and kiss her grandmother for bringing it up.

"Yes," Hoenhiem said. "And I must say, I felt the benefits of hit automail. You do excellent work." Looking from the corner of her eye, Winry saw him rubbing his jaw, and chuckling a little.

"Hmmm. Well thank you for the compliment-" –There was a clinking of glass as she sat her drink down on the table. "-But my granddaughter does all of Ed's work. She surpassed me long ago. So Ed punched you?" She didn't sound surprised.

"Yes...when we met here before, he said that the only reason he didn't punch me then was because..." He trailed off.

"...You were standing in front of Trisha's grave."

Hoenhiem sighed deeply. "Yes." He paused. "He told me of...Trisha's last message. He said that you told him to pass it on. Thank you."

A slightly tense silence followed, in which Winry nearly jumped as she rearranged some of the tools in the box- the clinking sounds shattering the air, and bringing the two adults back to their senses.

Clearly striving to change the subject, Hoenhiem continued. "Yes, Ed is the same as ever. Though apparently he works for a Homunculus- the employment hasn't changed anything about him." He laughed. "Hot-headed, unreasonable- even more than I was at his age."

"Hmmm." Pinako's statement held no comment, though there seemed to be something brewing in her tone.

"Yes, hardly like his brother at all. Because of the armor, you could easily think that they weren't related. When I met with Alphonse, after we sorted some things out, he was quite calm. Edward however-"

CRASH!

Hoenhiem was cut off mid-sentence as the toolbox was slammed on the countertop. A shaking Winry stood in front of it, her outline trembling visibly. She turned around, and there was rage written in every line of her face.

"SHUT UP! DON'T TALK ABOUT THINGS YOU CAN'T UNDERSTAND!" She screamed. She marched right up to the stunned Hoenhiem, eyes seeming ready to shoot gunfire from their depths. "You have gotten to know Al a bit it seems," she said, no longer shouting but voice somehow harsher. "But do NOT presume that you know Ed!"

Taking her finger, she jabbed it into his chest. "You weren't there to see two boys- one encased in empty armor, and the other with two bleeding stumps- asking you to help them! You weren't there to see Ed go through automail surgery, and do in a year what most take at least two to do! You weren't there to see them come back, after four years of absence, realizing that everyday they were in danger- and that you could do _nothing_!" Her voice cracked. She stepped back, and clenched her fists, with eyes like a hurricane.

"Edward Elric is brave." Her voice was low, passionate, and carried a force that seemed so much stronger than the delicate looking body it came from. "Edward Elric is strong. Edward Elric is kind. He intelligent- a prodigy, though he would never admit it! Sometimes he is hotheaded, and I don't understand him, and sometimes he is downright unreasonable, but he always does what is _right_! He wants to help people." A smile fell across her face, and her eyes closed halfway, as though reliving a memory. Her hands curled together, and she pressed them to her heart. "Edward Elric cares more than you can possibly imagine, about his brother. He has faced so much hardship- I _know_ this, even though there is so much about their lives that I don't understand- that they won't tell me! But he still goes on, because he wants to help his brother, and save all of us!" She looked up, and her eyes held a fire to them, one that scorched and burned and bled with a light all it's own.

"EDWARD ELRIC IS THE MOST WONDERFUL PERSON THAT I KNOW!"

She stopped again, and looked at the floor. When she spoke, her voice was choked. "So don't talk like you know him. Don't speak as though you were there and understand."

Hoenhiem stared at her. When he spoke, his was carefully controlled. "You're...in love with him, aren't you?" It was a statement, not a question.

Winry's head snapped up, and for a moment there was such vulnerability in her eyes that Hoenhiem felt sure that she would cry. But instead she blushed, and looked him in the eye. "Yes," she said, voice very quiet. And then stronger, she threw her shoulders back, straight and proud.

"Edward Elric- strong, brave, kind, intelligent Edward Elric- is the person that I love."

She said it with the assurance of one that held no doubt, and at that moment could have shouted it to the world. But the moment passed and she slumped, her eyes glazing over with despair. "And... Edward Elric is the person...that I can do nothing for..." The whisper was pulled from her unwillingly, and almost immediately, she wished that she could draw it back. Her hands flew to her mouth and she sank to her knees, eyes wide.

"Then leave."

Winry looked up, startled by Hoenhiem's sudden words, slowly lowering her shaking hands from in front of her mouth. "What?"

Hoenhiem looked down at her- and for a moment Winry saw an ancient sadness there, before he looked away and spoke: "Leave this country, so that he doesn't return to a dead woman. A dead family. Like I did..." He trailed off into silence.

"No." Winry and her grandmother spoke at the same time. They looked at each other briefly, before Pinako spoke again. "I have my duties here in this country, as does Winry. People here need us." She downed her drink matter-of-factly. Winry nodded, and smiled a little sadly.

"Besides," she murmured. "I have to believe that they will get their bodies back, and that they will save Amestris. There's no cause for us to worry, because I believe that, with all of my heart."

Hoenhiem was silent for a moment. He set down the glass that he had been holding all of this time, watching the swirling contents. "Thank you," he said finally. He stood up. "If I may intrude on your hospitality a little longer Pinako- I could use a place to stay tonight. I will be gone before you wake up." He smiled a little. Pinako cocked her head to one side, staring at the man for a moment before nodding. His smile grew and he nodded back in thanks, walking to the doorway.

He paused, one hand raised in the air, brushing the wall with his fingertips. "You are...a truly special person, Winry Rockbell." And with that, he had disappeared through the doorway, and his footsteps could be heard going up the stairs.

()()

The figure moved slowly through the darkness- each step measured and careful, not wanting to rouse any of the house's occupants. Of course, the downside to being a mechanical prodigy was that one's room tended to be full of the objects that were used for such a job. Scattered things, that easily caused people to slip when left unattended...

"Owww..." Winry Rockbell it seemed, had to learn this the hard way.

Winry rubbed her knee, grateful that the screwdriver hadn't been anything sharper- something that, say, would have required her to give herself automail for example. Blowing her hair out of her eyes, she stood, and grabbed what she had wanted- a length of rope sitting on a table. Coiling it together, she tied it around her waist like a belt.

"Okay," she whispered, fingers fumbling in the dark. "Wrench- always handy, scalpel instead of a pocketknife...backpack...money...flashlight...all I need now is a little food..."

Opening the door slowly, she squeezed out of it, not daring to open it all the way in case it creaked. Glancing at a clock on the wall that she would barely make out, Winry saw that she was right on schedule- it was six AM. She had plenty of time to grab some food, scribble a note to her grandmother, and make it down to the train station in time to sneak on the next train to Central.

Tiptoeing down the stairs was no easy act- but she made sure to skip a few steps that she knew creaked whenever anyone stepped on them. Breathing a sigh of relief that Den hadn't gotten up either, Winry made her way to the kitchen. Opening the refrigerator, she dug through its contents, pulling out a sandwich and a water canteen that she had put there just before going to bed. Her hand had closed around an apple when she heard it- the sound of small footsteps. She turned, blinking in the light from the refrigerator to see a small figure standing in the kitchen doorway- seeming to have it's arms crossed...

"Granny...?" Winry whispered, stepping back and squinting a little. The refrigerator door swung shut, and almost immediately, Pinako flicked on the light that she was holding, staring at her granddaughter, in the midst of sneaking out.

"Now really Winry," Pinako said, voice light. "I'm smarter than that, give me some credit. How was I _not_ supposed to know that you would try something like this?"

Winry lowered her head, sighing. "I'm sorry Granny, I just-"

"I know very well what 'You just', Winry." Pinako raised an eyebrow. "That is not the thing that we should be discussing- what we _should_ discuss, is why you didn't ask me to help you."

"What?" Winry nearly dropped the apple she was holding. "You- you _want_ me to go?"

Pinako sighed. "Don't be silly, Winry, of course not. I don't want you to go any more than I wanted your parents to go to Ishval all those years ago." She stepped closer. "But just like back then, I know you feel that you have to go, and that I can't talk you out of it. The Rockbell women are known for their stubborn streak. I couldn't talk any of my children out of leaving to save something or other, and I've damn well had enough. It's about time I lent a hand, so don't bother complaining." She added fire to this statement with a hard glare that Winry was well used to.

"Granny..." Winry didn't know what to say. Goodbye somehow seemed improper, and thanks didn't seem like enough. "I think I have everything that I need." To emphasize her point, she tossed the apple (Which was most likely bruised by now) into her backpack.

"Oh you do?" Pinako scrutinized her granddaughter for a moment. "Not quite. Granny always knows, Winry." She disappeared for a moment through the door and emerged a few moments later, clutching what seemed to be some fabric in her hands. Placing the light that she had been carrying on a nearby table, Pinako reached into the folds of the fabric, and pulled out something small.

She pressed it into Winry's hands, saying- "A pocketknife. I know you've probably got a scalpel or something of the like in place of it since you don't own one, but having this will help. Keep both if you want." Winry wordlessly tucked the knife into her pocket.

Pinako paused, running her hands over the fabric in her arms for a moment. "And a coat," she said, and Winry heard the slight hitch in her voice as she spoke. "It's colder there in Central after all." She handed it to Winry, who slipped it on, and put on her backpack after it. Winry paused, not knowing what to say now.

She bent down, enveloping her grandmother in a hug. She felt Pinako start with surprise- Pinako was never really the 'huggy' sort. But slowly, she returned it. "I have to go now, Granny," Winry whispered, stepping back.

Pinako nodded. "I know." She stepped back, and walked her granddaughter to the front door. She opened it, and stepped aside for Winry to pass, the sun rising slowly, and casting everything in an odd half-shadow. They paused together, on the steps of their home, and they both knew that possibly this was the last time that they would see each other. Trusting Ed and Al in a battle was one thing- Winry the mechanic was another. Pinako didn't know just what her granddaughter planned to do once she got to Central, but she did know, that whatever it was, it was the right thing to do.

"Come home safe, Winry." Pinako folder her hands behind her back, and bid her granddaughter farewell with those parting words.

Winry smiled, and waved, starting down the road.

She was taking the first steps, of a great journey.

* * *

I really hope the characters aren't OOC. Reviews make me smile inside! (And they will be answered in the next chapter.)

Next chapter preview:

A Comrade of Sorts: Winry successfully sneaks on a train. But someone discovers her, and though initially worried and confused, she soon finds herself teamed up with an unexpected comrade and protector...someone that knows all that is going on, and is willing to tell her...

Until next time!

AerithHeartilly


	2. A Comrade of Sorts

Yay! The next chapter. This seems a bit rushed to me, but I still like it. The next chapter will have Ed and Al in it, as well as our favorite military people. As explanation for the last chapter (some were a bit surprised by Winry's outburst) Winry confronting Hoenhiem was something that I have been expecting for a while. She grew up with Ed and Al, right? She saw the consequences of when he left, and how they suffered. She wasn't quite as angry as Ed, but she still felt some resentment in my opinion.

Also, um, there is a bit of questionable alchemy in this. For that I plead the fifth, and that Hoenhiem is a living Philosopher's stone.

DISCLAIMER: I OWN FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST, THEREFORE I CAN BRING HUGHES BACK TO LIFE! Any second now...

Please don't sue me.

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter Two

Comrade of Sorts

Winry wanted to do everything that she could to help Ed and Al. Even at the risk of being a liability, she wanted to be with them, and help them in any way that she could. So she planned to sneak on a train to Central (As according to the rest of the world, she was Scar's captive) and perhaps make some adjustments to Ed's automail when she got there. Who knew what kind of trouble he had gotten into lately- knowing Ed, the state of the automail could very well be horrendous. And who was she to let Ed go into a battle with THAT kind of automail? Besides, if this battle was as dangerous as everyone was making it out to be, they probably needed some way to get the people of Central evacuated...and she could help with that. Winry told herself that she would be useful in Central, and that she would help, not harm.

And so, she was sitting in a barrel full of gunpowder, being jostled and carried onto a train that was headed directly for Central.

Well, _almost_ full was the truly accurate statement. She needed some room after all.

Upon reaching the train station, it had taken some master sleuthing to find some cargo that had little to no guards around them. The barrel, which she was currently situated in, was fairly large, and after dumping out some gunpowder, she had fit quite nicely. And once she had cut a few holes into the top so that she could get some fresh air, she was even better. Winry wouldn't go so far as to say that she was comfortable, but that hardly mattered. Though she supposed staying quiet would have been easier if she wasn't struggling not to cough. She had been set down in the cargo hold for the train a while ago, she was sure of it. However, the men that had carried her on had waited around, going off and on with more cargo. Winry just hoped that they didn't set anything really heavy on her- then she'd never be able to get out.

Footsteps approached, and Winry had to suppress an agitated sigh. Wouldn't these guys ever leave? She felt sure that the train had started moving a while ago...why did they have to come back to the cargo hold now? The footsteps grew closer, walking quickly without falter. They stopped, right in front of the barrel Winry was crouched in. She held her breath, trying to calm her thumping heart- sure that, someone would be able to hear it...

The lid of the barrel was screwed off, and Winry was bathed in bright light for a moment before she was grabbed by her collar, pulled out of the barrel, and sat comfortably on top of a box. A startled "Eeep!" escaped her as she was lifted out, and she cringed back, ready for someone to start yelling about a stowaway...

"It can't have been too comfortable in there, Miss Rockbell."

Winry stiffened at the voice. She opened her eyes, finding herself looking at the shadowy form of Van Hoenhiem. For a moment she simply gaped; wondering at this man's ability to turn up at the most unexpected times.

"Wha-what?" She finally squeaked out, gripping the box that she had been set on with both hands. She gathered herself enough to glare. "You aren't here to make me leave, are you?"

Hoenhiem shook his head. He looked up at the ceiling, and smiled a sad half-smile. "You set your mind on coming here. Nothing will change your mind now...Trisha was the same..." He sighed heavily. He turned back toward Winry and smiled a little. "If you are going to Central, you might as well go in the company of someone that can protect you."

Winry stared at him. She wasn't insulted in the least- she knew that whatever she came up against; she would have little chance of being able to fight them. She was, however, shocked. She cleared her throat, trying to find her voice. Finally she gasped out- "Why?"

"Why?" Hoenhiem repeated. He leaned back against some of the cargo piles, looking thoughtful. "A few reasons, Miss Rockbell." His hands rested comfortably in his pockets, but he seemed tense, as though ready to defend himself at any second. "One, I knew your parents. Not well, but I did know them. They are gone, but you are still here- and a part of their memory lives on in you. It is the least that I can do, to preserve that memory." He nodded solemnly. "Secondly, you would have gone anyway, found some other way, and endangered yourself. If I could get you off of this train without worry of that I would- but I have a schedule to keep. I need to get up to Central, and cannot be slowed down." He smiled a little, even chuckled. "Also, it is safe to say that I admire you. I do not wish you to be hurt, and I can prevent that." His face abruptly became serious, and he leaned forward, his eyes glittering in the lamplight. "Lastly, Ed would kill me if I let anything happen to you. And I would lose whatever ground I have with Alphonse. They have suffered plenty. One of them already hates me- I don't need both of them to."

Winry furrowed her brows, staring at the man that she hardly knew. She felt a few bubbles of anger toward him, and pushed them back. She didn't need to like him –though she couldn't honestly say that she 'disliked' him either –and he was offering something that could benefit her plans. She knew very little of what was going on, what to look out for, let alone what help she could be. And he could keep her safe so that she could do whatever she could. Winry knew that overall, it was a win-win situation. Slowly, she nodded. Hoenhiem's position relaxed immediately, and Winry realized that he had thought she would refuse- and perhaps start shouting. She bit back a laugh.

"Alright." He looked her up and down. "We'll need to do something about your appearance..." His hand traced his chin thoughtfully.

"What?" Winry looked down at herself. She was covered in gunpowder, but somehow didn't see anyone really caring about that- her face was probably on a million posters, asking for a reward with information on her whereabouts. After all, not only could she have possible information on the FullMetal Alchemist, but also she was still supposedly with Scar- and any chance of capturing him was valuable to the military.

"Oh, don't worry. It won't be permanent. We just can't have anyone recognizing you."

Sensing her furthered confusion and alarm, he scratched the back of his head in nervousness. "Here, I'll demonstrate." He closed his eyes, placing the palm on his hand on his face. A faint light seemed to emanate from his palm for a moment- so dim, Winry was sure that she wouldn't have seen it in daylight. Then, without even opening his eyes, he placed both of his hands on the top of his head, stroking downward, threading his fingers through the ponytail. The light was there again, but that was not what made Winry gasp.

Hoenhiem's hair- once the same color as Ed and Al's –was now a shining black. He opened his eyes, and they were a deep green. Without a word, he pressed his hands to his beard, and that too, changed to match his hair.

"There now," he said. "Simple alchemy, made simpler by a living philosopher's stone."

Winry couldn't help but gape. Hoenhiem chuckled a little at her expression. "It doesn't hurt, I promise. It might itch a little though." Without waiting for a response, he pressed his palm to her eyes, closing them. Winry stiffened automatically, though she held very still. For a moment she felt nothing, save the hand that sat on her face. Then a slight itch spread over her eyelids, and her hand reached up to touch them, as Hoenhiem pulled his away. Her eyelids _felt_ the same...

Hoenhiem placed his hands on her head, and brushed downward, gently. The itching started again, this time in her scalp, and around her ears. Winry twitched, pulling away.

"There," came Hoenhiem's voice. "You are no longer Winry Rockbell- at least, not as far as anyone else is concerned."

Winry's eyes inched open. A bit of her hair was in her face, and she stared at it, shocked by the black strands. She reached behind her back, grabbing her tied back hair. It too, was a deep, inky black. She felt strange- there was an overwhelming desire to search for a mirror, and yet she felt oddly self-conscious.

"For right now, you are my niece. I'll put it back as soon as I can." He smiled, and led her out of the maze of boxes. Sliding open the door, Hoenhiem looked down the corridor. No one was there. Quickly, he ushered her to a nearby compartment, shutting the door behind them. Winry looked at the familiar red seats of the train and couldn't help a smile. This reminded her of all the times that she had traveled- either with Ed, or to go see him and Al. She sat down, looking over to see Hoenhiem already sitting, staring out the window at the world rushing by.

Winry sat down her backpack, staring at the man. He looked just like...

Hoenhiem felt her stare and looked at her, seeming to come out of a daze. "Sorry," he chuckled. "I'm afraid I probably won't be much for conversation."

"Oh!" Winry shook her head. "No, it's not that. It's...well," she grinned embarrassedly. "You looked just like Ed. I mean, not the hair and eyes right now obviously," she laughed a little. "He just...used to look out the window like that, sometimes for hours..." She trailed off. Hoenhiem stared at her, before shaking his head, chest rumbling with laughter. "I'm not laughing at you," he assured her. "I was just remembering when I met Ed, that time in Resembool... all our similarities only seemed to make him hate me more." He had stopped laughing, and his smile was bitter, if anything.

His words made Winry remember something. She cocked her head to the side. "I don't think he hates you," she said quietly. Hoenhiem blinked at her, evidently thinking that she was losing her mind.

"No, I'm serious." Winry sighed, staring at the unfamiliar green eyes. "Is he angry with you? Yes. Does he blame you for his mother's death? Yeah, and that won't likely change. But you have to understand...you left when Ed was really young. One of the clearest memories he probably has of you is when you left. Not that I know anything about that, like Ed would ever tell me! But..." A sad smile flitted across her face. She curled up her knees to her chest, staring out the window. "The clearest thing I remember about my parents, was watching their backs as they left for Ishval. It's something that is ingrained into my memory. I lost them, and it hurts-" Winry placed a hand to her heart. "I knew that they wouldn't come back. But you did come back," She looked up, staring hard at Hoenhiem. "Ed was sure that you were gone, but you came back. He still had his mom, even when you left, and he let himself feel anger at your leaving- only increasing that feeling when his mother died. But I don't think that was all."

Winry furrowed her eyebrows, staring in the distance. "When you came back, he was loaded with a whole lot of emotions that he didn't want to face- let alone understand. He was angry, sure, he had a right to be, but most of all...I think he was just scared. He had settled on the fact that you were gone, and as long as you were a memory he could afford to be only angry- but when you came back everything changed. You weren't gone, and a part of him had to face what he hadn't been able to, even as a kid."

Hoenhiem was still staring at her- no longer doubting her sanity, but very confused.

Winry sighed, shaking her head with a sad sort of smile. "Don't you see? He was frightened. He was scared that you would leave again. Part of him knows this- maybe not a conscious part, but a part nonetheless. The rest of him just wants to say that he wishes you would drop off the face of the earth- not because he hates you, but because he could _deal_ with that. He knows how to deal with your absence. He doesn't know how to deal with you actually being here. It's too late, maybe, but perhaps it is the child in him that wants to have a father that will stay. So he is confused, and scared, either way. He is resentful, angry, and that probably won't change. But most of all...he's just sad. He doesn't hate you, but he doesn't love you either. He did once, and he still feels the crushing sadness of when you left, how it effected all of them in turn." Winry paused, taking a deep breath. "He won't stop being angry, not for a long time. But, he doesn't hate you. I don't think he ever did."

Hoenhiem was very quiet. He stared at her, and Winry sensed that he felt unsure. Finally, he spoke.

"I met you before..."

Winry blinked. That wasn't what she had expected. "What?"

"Hn." Hoenhiem smiled a little. "When you were very young, I met you. I know you likely don't remember, but I think that was the first, and last, time I saw you back then. I wonder why I didn't remember before..."

Winry frowned. She furrowed her eyebrows, straining her memory, searching for some early recollection of Ed and Al's father. She recalled brief snippets- a shadow behind doors, a flash of gold in the windows...for most of her childhood, she remembered him as someone you just assumed to be there. But suddenly it came to her- flickering like a roll of film across her eyes...

_...Her hands scooped up the bright flowers, red, pink, yellow, blue, violet. She didn't mind the dirt under her fingernails, though her mother would probably not be happy._

"_There," Winry said, smiling at the small bouquet clamped in her hands._

"_Well, you are the smallest intruder I have ever seen," A voice came from behind her, and for a moment, Winry was cast in shadow. She looked up at the towering man, her mouth forming a little 'o' of surprise. He was big, but not that scary. Besides, Winry thought he looked familiar..._

"_I'm not an intuder!" Winry stamped her foot to emphasize her point._

_The man chuckled, bending down on one knee. "You're Sara Rockbell's daughter, right? You look just like her."_

_Winry nodded. "And you're Ed and Al's daddy, awren't you?" The man's eyebrows went up, and he hesitated for a moment. Then, he nodded._

"_Shouldn't you be over with the others?" He asked, gesturing to where her parents sat, with Ed, Al, and their mother._

_Winry shook her head, almost pityingly. "I'm picking flowers for everyone!" she cried, as though it was obvious. "Ed better not throw it on the ground..." She pouted, her lower lip jutting out. She frowned, suddenly. "Why aren't you over there?"_

_The man didn't answer, instead he looked at the smiling faces, where his and Winry's family sat, enjoying the day._

"_Hey! Why awren't you answering me?"_

_The man started, looking back at her. Winry huffed, putting her hands on her hips. Then, staring at the man, she asked: "Are you hurting somewhere?" _

_Her eyes looked him over for some sort of injury. His expression, his eyes, looked like the eyes of patients her parents had had. Unable to find anything, Winry was struck with a realization. She reached into the ground, pulling up a delicate, white flower. "Hurting somewhere, in here," she said, reaching forward to touch the man's chest, her hand over his heart. The man stared at her, eyes wide._

_Winry smiled, holding out the white flower to him. "Momma says that flowers always help when you're hurting somewhere."_

_With her smile only growing, she ran toward her parents and friends, laughing and handing out flowers, leaving the man alone on a hill, staring after her._

"...I remember," Winry whispered. Her eyes were wide.

Hoenhiem chuckled. "You gave me a flower," he said, smiling a little.

Winry blushed. "Yes, well..." she mumbled, fidgeting.

Hoenhiem broke into a grin. It faded after a moment, and he eyed her with sudden seriousness. Glancing out the window, he said: "We don't have much time. There is much you want to know, but less that I will tell you. Ask your questions," he added, as Winry tried to protest, "And I will answer what I can. But there are some things that you are _better off_ not knowing!" He sighed. "However, you do need to understand."

Winry began her questioning. She understood, on a basic level, what a homunculus was, but Ling (or Greed, that is) was really the only one she knew of. She knew not to trust Kimblee now, but what of the rest of the military? What of the other Homunculus? What had happened exactly when Hoenhiem had met up with Ed and Al?

She learned that many of the people in high positions of the military were not to be trusted. Most in the military hadn't a clue what was really goin on; only those in Col. Mustang's 'group', the Armstrongs, the General's from Briggs, and General Grumman were to be trusted.

He gave her only a momentary briefing on the Homunculi – because she would be long gone by the time any of them made trouble for her. Or so Hoenhiem said. Winry held back the protests – but no matter what he said, she would stay as long as she could still help. As far as meeting with Ed and Al, Winry discovered that she had been right to be worried.

"Al was possessed," Hoenhiem explained. "The blood seal, which kept his soul bound to the armor, had been invaded by a Homunculus called Pride. We all fought, but Ed was the only one that was able to do anything, as the seal is made of his blood. He was able to charge in a drop more of his blood the seal, strengthening the Alchemy, and driving out Pride. Of the Homunculus were willing to let either of them die, it wouldn't have worked. Ed would have stayed back in fear of Al's seal being erased. However, they want Ed and Al alive."

"For what?" Winry asked, her voice a near whisper.

Hoenhiem stared hard at her, his expression dark. "For something you never want to know," he said.

The look in his eyes had been so intense, so sad, that Winry hadn't argued. He finished the tale of the encounter by saying that the Homunculus there had escaped, and was still a threat. The next thing addressed was what she would do once they arrived in Central.

"As much as you would love to assist Ed's automail, that likely won't be possible. Our main concern when we arrive should be evacuation the people. It would be preferable to get them out of the country, in case everything goes wrong, but that's nearly impossible now. We will get there early in the morning," Hoenhiem said, glancing at a pocket watch. "And our best bet will be to convince the people that we are in the military, and that the Furher has ordered an evacuation. For that, we'll need uniforms." He grinned, suddenly. "I hope you're not _too_ against knocking out military personnel."

Winry shook her head, biting her lip. They would have to move very fast, and there was a lot that could go wrong. But she knew it was the best she could hope for. Winry was disappointed that she couldn't even give Ed's automail a _little_ tune-up, especially before a huge battle.

"We won't be able to get everyone." Hoenhiem said, recapturing Winry's focus. "You know that, right? That we won't be able to get all the people out of Central- probably not even most of the people. You know that, don't you?"

Winry was quiet for a moment. She bent her head. "Yeah, I know." But she would get as many as she could out of there, and wouldn't give up easily.

They edged into a silence; one Winry found more tense than words. There was so much danger- and Hoenhiem hadn't even told her everything! Why did the Homunculus need Ed and Al? What would they do to keep the military from stopping the evacuation? And what had Hoenhiem meant, when he said that he was a 'living philosopher's stone'? Eventually, she slipped into a fretful sleep. When she woke, Hoenhiem was staring out the window.

"We're almost there," he said. He turned his ancient, sad gaze on Winry. "Are you ready?"

Winry nodded, eyes flashing in determination. Hoenhiem stared at her, and when he spoke his voice was hard. "Promise me one thing, Winry Rockbell."

Winry blinked, eyeing him suspiciously. "What?"

"This isn't for me, or even completely for your grandmother, this promise. This is for Ed, Al, and you. Promise that as soon as I tell you to leave Central, you will do so, no matter what is going on."

Winry's lips tightened.

"_Promise_."

She looked away. "Fine." She would probably be a liability in a real fight anyway. Hoenhiem sat back in his chair, satisfied with her answer.

The train slowed. They were pulling into the station. Winry stared at the still dark Central station, her lips set. Hoenhiem stood, and she stood with him, gripping the backpack full of her supplies. She was ready, to face whatever lay ahead.

There was no turning back.

* * *

Alrighty.

Reviews:

Sakura22222: Thanks!

HaganeNeko: Thank you, I appreciate that!

sad little monkey: Thanks. I liked Winry's speech too. :)

please-knock: Thank you! I hope my reasons for Winry's rudeness are somewhat explained. And, knowing Winry, she'll apologize for that later. I'm relieved that no one seems to find the characters OOC! Typos are my weakness. I need a beta-er, bad.

Anyway, I've gotten TEN alerts on this...so that makes me really happy!

Next chapter preview:

Set in Motion: Comrades gather, plan, and people evacuate. Will it be enough to stop the Homunculus's growing forces?

Until next time: live, laugh, and love always.

AerithHeartilly


	3. Set in Motion

Yay! Chapter Three is here! I've decided to have quotes at the start of the chapters now.

DISCLAIMER: If I owned FMA, I would remake the anime.

Oh, and on a side note- does anyone have ANY idea how old Mei is? I see her paired up with Al often, and I swear she just seems like she's seven or something. So if anyone knows for sure...

And a big virtual hug to please-knock, my awesome beta.

* * *

Chapter Three

Set in Motion

"_To be prepared is half the victory."_

_- Miguel De Cervantes_

The sun rose slowly over the horizon, bathing all in it's heavenly light. Birds woke and began chirping, children rubbed their sleepy eyes...

"DAMMIT!"

...And Edward Elric was shouting.

He was angry- no, he was downright pissed off, and even his brother's restraining hand wasn't enough to diffuse that. The boy glared at the surrounding people, arms crossed. It was times like these where he wished his conscience would keep quiet and let him bash in a few heads. He pinched his nose between his thumb and forefinger, letting out a deep, angry, sigh.

"Okay, let's get this straight," He said, looking up with fierce gold eyes. "The most powerful man in the country is on a train. He is a powerful Homunculus, already suspicious of what is going on. Then, his train blows up- nice effect, as it would kill everyone ECXEPT him. Knocks a few military guys out of the way, sure. So you went down to where he was, tried to hold him, and LET HIM GET AWAY!?" Ed threw his arms up in the air, in a full rant. "Now he'll be more determined than ever to get here, and now he KNOWS just who is behind all of this. Do you have ANY idea what will happen when he gets here? Not only will the MILITARY be after us, but the average populace, who is just ignorant enough to get in the way, trying to STOP us! A integral part of this plan was the whole military NOT knowing what was going on!"

"We know that!" Heinkel snapped. He ran a hand down his forehead.

"Look kid," Darius growled. "Don't take it out on us. We're just the messengers. We weren't there."

"We were too busy looking after a bratty kid..." Heinkel muttered to his partner, who nodded.

"Brother," Al said. "This is bad, but I don't think we can do anything about it, except prepare for the possibilities as best as we can. Where are we supposed to meet the Doctor?" He asked the two chimeras, removing his hand from Ed's shoulder as he calmed.

"Some old warehouse," Darius shrugged. "In the west side of town."

Ed exhaled heavily. "Fine, whatever. You're right Al. The most we can do is watch our step, and just go on ahead and meet with Doctor Marcoh." Darius and Heinkel started walking. Ed turned to the figure a few feet away, whose back was to them. "Yo, Greed." Ed called. The Homunculus turned around, walking in the general direction on the warehouse, his usual cocky sneer in place.

Ed watched him go with a frown.

"Brother..."

Ed blinked. "Yeah, Al?" They began to follow after Greed, the two chimeras in the lead.

"Brother...I think Greed- err, Ling...is looking for Ran Fan."

"What?" Ed looked at the Homunculus in the distance. He frowned. "Huh. You may be right, Al."

Avoiding the public eye, not to mention the military, wasn't that hard, as early as it was. Of course, there was always the worry that some Homunculus would slink out of the darkness, but that didn't seem likely either. A few lone lights shone in the buildings and houses. Some cars littered the road, and a light breeze blew.

"Ed...?"

"Eh?" Ed shook himself out of his thoughts. "What is it Al? Something wrong?"

"No, not exactly...brother, we can't get these people to leave, can we?" Al was staring at a pool of light coming from an apartment. Ed sighed. "No, Al, we can't. Even if we succeed, there is a great chance that a lot of people that live here will get hurt." A slight chuckle escaped him. "Y'know what Winry said? She said that we 'have to protect our country, have to get our bodies back, and keep people from getting hurt, not just our friends.' She made it sound so simple, but..."

"But what, brother?"

Ed smiled a little. "She really does...believe in us, with everything she has. Maybe it's simple, but she doesn't see another alternative."

When Al spoke, one could hear the smile in his voice. "And it's nice, brother, to have someone that doesn't doubt us at all, isn't it?"

Ed's smile grew. "Yeah, Al. It is." He sighed, his smile fading, running a hand through his hair as they walked.

_At least she's not here in Central..._

((()))

Just outside of the train station, a young girl with long black hair stood next to a tall man with hair of the same color. The girl frowned, pushing back a strand of her black locks. "You're sure you can reverse this, right?" she whispered to her companion.

The man next to her chuckled. "Positive." His eyes caught some military officials a ways off, out of sight of the few people getting off the train. He lowered his voice even more; bending down to make sure that Winry would hear him. "Ready to appear guileless and innocent?" He asked. Winry fought the urge to cackle manically, nodding.

"Alright, I'll scamper off. Don't worry, I'll find you once you're far enough away." With that, he was gone, moving so quickly that all Winry saw was a flash of a black ponytail.

Taking a deep breath, Winry fixed her face into a devastated expression, widening her eyes and filling them with tears she would never let fall. It was all for appearances' sake, and she had no desire to break her part of Ed's promise to her.

Sniffling a little, she walked over to the two military officers, hiding her inner delight; Hohenheim had spotted them well, one was tall and fairly built, while the other was a woman. She was a fair bit taller than Winry, but she would do.

"P-please," Winry cried out, grabbing one of the officer's arms. "M-my uncle, he- I can't find him!" She peered up at the man she had grabbed, working to appear terrified and innocent. Her voice turned to a wail- "Please, he's gone! I don't wanna be alone!" Her voice was halting, as it did when she really cried, and to top it all off, she fell to her knees, forcing the man to stoop, her head bent.

"Err, Miss, uh, please don't cry..." The man sounded a little startled and unsure. Winry flicked her eyes to the woman, while still pretending to sob to the street. The woman had bent down and was patting her shoulder. "Oh, you poor child," The woman crooned, and Winry had to fight the desire to snort. The woman couldn't be older than twenty-five or thirty, and Winry was pretty sure that she didn't look like a child. Judging by where the Male officer's eyes were traveling, Winry knew that fact wasn't just an assumption. At least she wouldn't really feel guilty about knocking _him_ out.

Deciding to pull the grand finale, Winry put her hands over her eyes, pretending to be sobbing into them. "Uncle and I just wanted to come to the big city!" She cried. "When momma passed away he took me in and I- now- he's-he's gooooooone!" Winry wailed, heaving her shoulders as though she was being racked by sobs.

The woman clicked her tongue, and Winry knew it was the right thing, throwing in her dead 'momma'. "Now, now, child, don't worry, we'll help you find your Uncle."

Winry looked up, widening her tear-filled eyes. "You...you will?" She whispered.

"Of course we will," the man said. "We couldn't let a nice girl like you walk around by yourself..."

Winry noted that when he said 'nice young girl' his gaze dropped to her hips. She fought the urge to wrench this man for all she was worth. She wasn't even wearing her miniskirt for crying out loud!

Knowing she had to grin and bear it, Winry stood, sniffling and clasping her hands over her chest, gazing with false adoration at the two people. "Oh thank you!" she cried, wiping at the tears that had never escaped her eyes.

"Now miss, where did you see your Uncle last?"

Winry sniffed again for good measure, pointing to the road that led deeper into town.

The two military officers began leading her in that direction, and Winry grinned in spite of herself, making sure they didn't see.

((()))

"Doctor Marcoh, the Elric Brothers have arrived."

A man in a large brown cloak looked up, a smile crossing his heavily disfigured face. "Hey boys," he said, standing from his place by the fire.

"Hello Doctor Marcoh," Al said politely. Ed merely nodded. He glanced around the fire at all the people there, who looked back at him with mistrust.

The doctor, noticing Ed's stare, spoke: "Scar's not here, Ed."

Ed started. "What?"

The doctor gave a small smirk. "I'm sure you know that Scar gathered all of these Ishvalans. They are comrades, united in their intentions- to use his phrase. But Scar isn't here right now. He's with two others doing surveillance."

Ed said nothing, merely crossing his arms and looking away.

An Ishvalan came forward. "Listen kid, I know of your feelings, being a state Alchemist and all, but you'll just have to-"

Ed's eyes flashed in the firelight as he looked up, cutting the Ishvalan off. "No," Ed said. "You don't know." His voice was a low growl. "All I _really_ care about with that guy, is that he killed my childhood friend's parents- two doctors, who helped on _both_ sides of the war." Ed snarled the last sentence.

The Ishvalan said nothing. This however, seemed to spur Ed on.

"I don't give a damn whether you're Ishvalan, Xingese, or whatever. Hell, I'm traveling with two chimeras and a guy who's Xingese and a homunculus." Ed pressed on, ignoring the alarming looks he got for this pronouncement. "But don't you dare say what you were going to- something like, 'You'll just have to deal with it' or whatever. Don't you _dare_ say that, not after what he has done to _her_. Winry, who was a kid at the time, and who patched up Scar's wounds, even after what he did! I will never be able to 'deal with it', any more than you could deal with the officers that demolished your people. The _only_ reason-" Ed raised one finger, stepping forward to that the fire made deep shadows across his face, "I- am not going to fight him, is because I need to make sure that he won't ever hurt her again. I am here to watch him. Help that he can provide doesn't matter as much to me. Got it?"

The Ishvalan that had spoken eyed him for a moment, and then looked down, with an almost imperceptible nod. Al, who had been silent the whole time, placed a hand on his brother's shoulder. "The same goes for me," he said very quietly. Ed was silent for a moment, and then too, nodded. A few moments passed, Ed exhaling through his nostrils heavily, turning his eyes to the doctor.

"Now, doc. What do you have for us?"

((()))

_Jeez._ Winry thought. _This guy is two seconds away from being throttled. _She fought to keep her eye from twitching. The male military officer was looking at her in ways that made her skin crawl. She hoped that she was far enough away from other people- because if she wasn't, she was positive that she would snap and try to take down the officers on her own. A flash of something caught her eye, and she peered at a nearby alley.

_Was that...?_ She squinted. A face appeared just long enough for her to recognize it, and Winry couldn't stop the grin from crossing her face. _Yep. Now I don't have to deal with this guy any more..._

Knowing that he would see, she flicked her head toward Hohenheim's hiding place, and then at the female officer, indicating that she wanted him to take care of the female. Winry would take care of the male officer herself.

Reaching into her backpack, Winry felt her hands grip her wrench. She took it out, careful to hide it from sight. She stepped closer to the male officer, looking up at him with wide eyes, hands behind her back gripping the wrench.

"Sir..." She said, batting her eyelashes. "I just, wanted to give you something, for coming all this way and helping me..."

The man grinned, looking her up and down. "Well, thank you."

Winry nodded, smiling. When she spoke, her voice was a low purr. "Close your eyes," He did so, looking quite expectant and pleased.

_Ugh. Yuck, yuck, yuck. I can't believe I made my voice sound like that._ Winry couldn't stop the thought from going through her head. Without wasting another moment, she raised her wrench high, smacking him across the head.

He collapsed in a heap, moaning and looking dazed. She hit him again for good measure.

Sticking her tongue out at the unconscious man, Winry looked over to see Hohenheim standing over the equally unconscious female officer. He raised an eyebrow at the particularly large bruise on the stunned man's forehead. Winry scratched the back of her head in embarrassment, chuckling a little. Hohenheim shook his head, but made no comment.

Together, they removed the uniforms, putting the appropriate ones on themselves. Hohenheim's looked a little small, and Winry's was a tad too long, but they fit reasonably well, considering the limited time that they had had. Hohenheim then grabbed a nearby piece of wood, alchemizing a box around the unconscious bodies. Without a word, he picked up the box, and carried it off, returning a minute later, with a- "How do you think those two will enjoy the train to the rural eastern area?"

Winry giggled a little, straightening the hat that had come with the uniform.

"Oh, by the way," Hohenheim said, a slight grin on his face. "You are quite the actress. I almost felt bad for you." He chuckled. "And it is a good thing that my sons are not with us- I highly doubt that they would have let that man escape with a mere bump Ed especially." Winry blushed.

Abruptly serious, they began walking to one of the many apartments around them. Winry squinted at the unfamiliar housings, searching.

"What is it?" Hohenheim had noticed her wandering eyes.

Winry frowned a little, still trying to get her bearings. "There's one place I want to go first..."

"Oh?" Hohenheim furrowed his brows. "Where, exactly?"

Winry peeked around a corner, giving a delighted "Ah!" as she recognized the street. "Oh," she said, remembering Hohenheim's question. "There are two people who I need to make sure get out of here..." She smiled suddenly. "People that Ed, Al, and I...owe a great deal to." Her smile edged into a saddened expression. "And people that have suffered more than enough on account of these...homunculi..."

Hohenheim was silent for a moment. "Very well, but we must hurry."

((()))

The small figure crept slowly in the darkness of the alleyway. A slight scuffling sounded somewhere and she whirled around, raising a variety of weapons for her defense. A small cat seemed to be perched on her shoulder, and snarled in the direction of the sound.

A voice issued from the bag around her waist.

"Oh, come on. Relaaaaaax. More than likely it's just some mutt scrounging for food."

The girl smacked the bag- there was a slight thud and a muffled "Hey!"

"Regardless," the girl said in a dramatic whisper- "I must be ready at all times. After all- couldn't you turn into a dog before?"

"Yeah- but as I already pointed out to you- now, take one wrong step, and I'm dead. My enemies are any cockroaches that I come across."

"Hmph." The girl snorted.

"Whatever. Look, don't you have some _friends_ to reunite with, or something?"

The girl's demeanor immediately changed- more determined, and at the same time, worried. She clenched her fists, and nodded, moving forward again.

((()))

"What is a homunculus doing here?"

The voice came out of the darkness- three shapes, standing so that only their outlines were visible. Ed's eyes narrowed. "Same thing that we're here for," he snapped.

Scar stepped toward him, followed closely by two other Ishvalans. He eyed Ed for a moment, and then returned his attention to the ever-grinning Greed.

"Hey there," He said. "The name's Greed. Nice to finally meet the legendary Alchemist-killer." Scar's face remained expressionless. "We cannot trust him," he said finally.

"Trust?" Greed cackled before Ed could answer. "Trust has got nothing to do with it. These guys work for me," he added, jerking his thumb at Ed, Al, and the two chimeras hunched by the fire.

Scar's eyes widened. "What?"

"Look, whatever, it doesn't really matter. Point is, he's not gonna betray us- he wants the other Homunculi to go down just as much as we do." Ed's voice seeped with impatience.

Scar said nothing for a few moments. The fire reflected off his red eyes, flashing like embers in the shadows.

"You both, above nearly anyone else, know that to work with and trust a homunculus is foolish." He said it as a simple statement- a fact, not challenging their decision, almost like he was reminding them of the responsibility that came with that decision.

Ed's mouth formed a snarl, and Al seemed to be radiating disapproval.

As the silence thickened, Doctor Marcoh intervened, clearing his throat. "Now that we are all here, we can go over our strategy," he said. "Boys," - he addressed Ed and Al – "Who are our allies in this?"

Ed's eyes snapped to the deformed face of the doctor, and Al spoke.

"Colonel Roy Mustang," he said, his soft voice somehow carrying over the mutterings of the people around the fire. "And those that stand with him. General Grumman, the Armstrongs, Major Miles from Briggs, and our father."

Doctor Marcoh nodded. "Did you meet with him? Your father?"

Ed exhaled sharply. "Yeah," He said curtly. "We met with him."

"Do you-"

"-Have any idea where he is?" Ed finished. "No."

"I'm sure that our father will be here," Al said, sounding completely sure, but seeming to be trying to convince his brother. Ed snorted and crossed his arms, shrugging.

"Whatever. We do know, however, that there is still most of the military –many of them just don't know what the hell is going on – plus 'Father' and the Homunculus to deal with. Bradley's still in the picture, as is Pride. And they are more prepared for anything by us because Bradley survived the attempt to kill him. But, we're going through with the plan anyway."

"You're not our leader."

An Ishvalan had gotten to his feet, and was staring at Ed. His stance was not violent, but there was hostility in every line of his face. When Ed said nothing, merely furrowing his eyebrows, the Ishvalan continued.

"Do not call upon is to do as you wish. We want to change Amestris. What reason do we have to follow what _you_ say?"

"Reason?" Ed echoed, voice very quiet. "You want a reason? I'll give you one." His voice grew, and his eyes flashed like molten gold in the firelight. "I'm not asking for your loyalty or trust- I don't want it and I don't deserve it. I can't even guarantee that I know what I'm doing. But I'll give you a reason to fight with me, help me, and listen."

Ed stepped closer, fists clenched.

"I won't give up. Amestris does need to change. There's something I gotta do, and this whole this is about more than you or me- or anyone here. It's about _every single person_ in Amestris- and the world, which will suffer if the Homunculi win. This isn't just about our differences or whatever – this isn't even just about the goals that I have for myself and the promise I made to my brother. This is about everything and everyone we care about. I'm fighting for _them_!"

"Don't misunderstand," Al echoing voice was somehow dark. "There has not been one person who has not lost someone, who has not suffered. That needs to end. We can help do that. It won't happen overnight, and it will never end suffering. But we have to keep trying, so that people don't have to be so afraid, or full of hate. My brother and I...we have someone that believes in us wholeheartedly." And together, in unison, the brothers cried out-

"_**And if you think we're going to let her down, you've got another thing coming!"**_

((()))

Her hand rapped on the door three times.

Winry took a deep breath as she heard the sounds of slight scuffling inside the house, and footsteps approaching the door. Hohenheim stood behind her, at the foot of the front steps. A split second before the door opened, Winry realized that she had to use a different voice, or she would be recognized immediately.

The door opened, and Mrs. Gracia Hughes stood in the doorway, blinking at the unfamiliar black-haired officers before her. "May I help you?" She asked in her quiet, calm, voice.

Winry cleared her throat, trying to deepen it. "Ma'am," She said. "We have to ask you to vacate the premises immediately. Take your daughter, as many belongings as you can carry, and get on the next train that will take you as far from Central as you can go."

Gracia blinked. Her grip on the door tightened slightly. "Why?" She all but whispered.

Winry swallowed. " Because something is going to happen, and we are going to save as many lives as we can."

Gracia stared at her for a moment, eyebrows pulling together.

Winry tried to keep calm. "Please ma'am, there are still many that have to be warned. _You have to get out of here!_"

The woman blinked again, as though in surprise, and nodded. "Forgive me, but I feel as though I know you..." Without waiting for a reply, she turned and ran back into her house, the door swinging gently shut behind her.

Winry allowed her eyes to widen. Gracia had somehow sensed that they knew each other, even when she looked so different. She clenched her hands, feeling her fingernails dig into her palms. And as she was a mechanic, and had little nails to speak of, this was an accomplishment. Her heart thudded in her chest as the seconds ticked by. The silence of the still-early morning seemed almost suffocating, and Winry felt herself tense at minute, drifting sounds from the street.

After what seemed a lifetime, the door opened again, and Gracia stood there, Elysia in one arm, a suitcase in the other. Elysia stared about with half-lidded, sleepy eyes. Gracia paused on the bottom step, turning so that her gentle green eyes rested on Winry.

She said nothing, and just as Mr. Hughes had reminded Winry of her father, in that moment, Gracia reminded her very much of her mother. After a moment of silence Gracia turned, and began walking briskly down the street.

When she was a fair distance away, she spoke. "Thank you...Winry."

Winry stiffened, whirling around to stare at the retreating back of Mrs. Gracia Hughes, and the little girl that stared back at her. She watched their backs until they turned a corner, and vanished from sight.

"Come," Hohenheim said. "We still have much to do."

((()))

The soldier sighed at his station, one hand drumming on the table, the other under his neck, propping his head up. Few hours of sleep plus an early morning shift just equaled a bad day.

The phone rang and he reached for it sleepily. No sooner had the phone left the receiver, when noise gushed from it-

"**WE NEED UNITS HERE IMMEDIATELY! IT'S-"**

"Whoa, what's going on?" The soldier stood up, holding the phone a good foot from his ear.

"**WE'RE BEING ATTACKED BY A STRANGE WOMAN! SEND US-"** The phone cut off with a great scuffling, screams echoing in the background.

"Send you what, send you WHAT?!" The soldier was beside himself.

"**OH GOD! IT'S- IT'S-"**

"It's WHAT?!"

"**IT'S HERE! THE TERROR!"**

Abruptly the screaming was cut off, the only sound being that of slightly maniacal laughter. A deeper voice interrupted it- "I think you may have overdone it, Izumi."

The laughter cut off. "Oh, don't worry hubby. They'll recover."

The line went dead.

The soldier gaped, his shaking hand still holding the phone. He collapsed into a chair.

"I was right," He muttered weakly, eyes wide. "Bad day."

((()))

"You know how you will do it?" The shadows seemed to be whispering.

"Yes."

"Father will not be pleased at another failure from any of us. They are gathering, and we must capture them. But we cannot move forward unless he has opened the gate..."

"I know. Do not worry, Pride." A man stepped out of the shadows, gripping his double swords tightly. "He will open the gate. I know exactly what he could not bear to lose."

* * *

Whew!

Okay, next chapter will have more homunculi and Mustang's group. This story won't be super long, but it will have a satisfying ending, I believe.

Reviews:

LS animal lover: (Blushes) Thank you! I'm honored! I hope that I've captured Ed's personality as well. I hate OOC, especially when they ruin a good pairing!

YourFavoritePlushie: Thank you! I would love thirty reviews, but I guess all great things come with time. I'm really glad that I was able to capture Winry's personality, she is my favorite female character in FMA. And yeah, that does make sense. Sorta...:)

LittleChemist: Thanks! I rather like her speech too.

alchemichelper101: Thank you! I hope this is soon enough...

please-knock: I already answered most of this...but thanks for being my first beta-er, and I agree, you gotta love Hohoh!

That's it! Next Chapter preivew:

Actions and Consequences: Now that they have gathered, both sides make their move. And when the dust settles, no one will be the same...

Until next time!

AerithHeartilly


	4. Actions and Consequences

Woot! Got this chapter out quicker than before, huh? School's busy as hell, so I'll only be able to do so much with the speed of the next chapter. However, the next chapter or two is pretty big, and one(s) that I've had planned for a while. As some of you can tell, this won't be the longest story. But, I do have other FMA stories planned for the future, so never fear!

DISCLAIMER: I own FullMetal Alchemist. I also am Batman. Please don't sue superheroes. It's not nice.

And a HUGE thanks to please-knock, who beta-ed this for me. If not for her corrections, Scar's name would have been written as 'Scat' as least once. And for that, I am forever grateful.

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter Four

Actions and Consequences

"Mankind's greatest gift, also its greatest curse, is that we have free choice. We can make our choices built from love, or from fear."

-Elizabeth Kubler-Ross

Riza Hawkeye had spent most of her life training.

Training for her father, training for the military- always training. But she doubted that any of her training could prepare her for what she knew she was about to face.

Sighing, the blonde pushed some hair our of her eyes, huddling in the shadows, keeping as still as possible. She shifted, slowly, deliberately, moving so that she was in a better position; crouching. The barest of whispers escaped her lips as she moved.

"Fuery, Breda."

A moment of silence, and then a hiss reached her ears. _"Checkpoint remains clear."_

With a slight sound of confirmation, she pushed herself through the small hole in the vent system, swinging soundlessly to the ground. Readying her gun to fire, Riza stepped slowly and deliberately along the darkened hallway. "Watch yourselves," she said, her voice a mere breath of wind. "One of them blends into the darkness. Be ready. We must-"

"_-Protect our Colonel, yeah."_

She moved so that her footsteps left no mark, no sound. She allowed herself a brief smile. Then, she was serious again. "It will be hard to see that one, because of the darkness, so be cautious. When I tell you to, get yourselves out of here-"

"_-What? No way Lieutenant. We've all gotta protect our Colonel. If you think we're just gonna leave you here-"_

Riza fought the urge to sight impatiently. "You don't know how to fight them. You've never come up against one. You need to get with those that will be able to help you with that. When I tell you, get out of here and find Ed and Al." A moment of silence greeted her. Then-

"_Ed and Al, huh? They're here, then? No promises Lieutenant, on the leaving part, but I see your point."_ A slight static sound reached her for a moment. _"Oh, wait, here's Fuery."_ There was a muffled shuffling sound, and more static before Fuery's voice issued out of the device.

"_Lieutenant, Ma'am, I just got an alert from the phone lines. Apparently they're calling for help. Some woman attacked an office. They probably know that we're here."_

Riza's eyes narrowed as she pressed herself up against a wall, listening for any sound of footsteps. "How long?"

"_Five minutes, at most. They might not know where to look right away. But I suggest you hurry to the checkpoint."_

Nodding, though she knew they couldn't see, Riza murmured- "Right. From now on, no contact unless absolutely necessary, until I confirm that I have reached the checkpoint."

"_Roger."_ A moment of silence, and then Breda too, answered- _"Roger, Lieutenant."_

And thus the silence became her company.

Holding her gun up, ready to fire, Riza slowly crept around corners, eyes flicking about the hall. She tensed at every shadow; every creak the building made had her prepared to fire, aiming at something harmless.

The door loomed ahead of her, at the end of the hall.

She had to fight a sigh of relief once she saw it. Soon, she would meet with the Colonel, and it would be all right, somehow. Pressing her palm against the smooth wood of the door, she turned the handle, stepping cautiously into the small room.

Behind a desk, a shadow of a man moved. He stepped into the faint sunlight streaming through the windows, and Riza felt a smile come to her face.

"Colonel," She said, lowering her gun.

He smiled too, putting his hands in his pockets and approaching her. In the faint light, his eyes seemed darker than usual.

"Lieutenant," he nodded.

Riza furrowed her eyebrows. Something was wrong. She didn't know what it was, but something was off. Somehow, his smile seemed different.

Unconsciously, she took a step back from him. "Colonel...we should go now."

His teeth flashed in the dim as he grinned. "Oh, I don't think that's necessary, Lieutenant."

It took less than a second for her to understand. She raised her gun, finger beginning to pull the trigger-

She found herself surrounded by darkness, tendrils of it crawling up her body. A sword was at her throat. Fuhrer Bradley stepped out of the shadows from behind her, pressing his sword closer to her neck.

"Lieutenant Hawkeye," He said pleasantly. "I'm afraid that I still require your services."

And before her eyes, Colonel Roy Mustang melted away, to a man with dangerously glinting eyes, long greenish hair, and a sadistic smile. "Oooh, boy, do we have plans for you." He crooned, leaning closer.

Riza glared. Then, in a barest whisper, she spoke: "Get out of here."

The man- homunculus- cocked his head to the side, a little confused. Shrugging, he raised his hand to knock her out.

Knowing what was coming, Riza shouted before his fist came down, knowing that her intended audience would hear her-

"FIND ED AND AL! AND SAVE OUR COLONEL!"

The fist crashed down, and she sank into darkness.

((()))

_One hour earlier..._

The small figure lithely jumped across the rooftops.

A small cat-like creature clung to her shoulder. She stopped at the edge of one building, staring down at the alley below. She frowned.

"Where could Scar-san be...?" She murmured. Her eyes flicked about her surroundings. "Perhaps Alphonse-sama will be with him!" Her heart rose at the thought.

Mei jumped, leaping across the space between the buildings. As soon as her feet made contact on the other side, the sound of shattering glass reached her ears. She froze, drawing her always-ready knives, waiting.

The silence stretched on, and she heard no more alarming sounds. Letting out a quiet breath of relief, the princess continued on her way.

((()))

Ed frowned, massaging his temples.

It was all coming together- more or less. There were just a few loose ends to tie up- such as where the hell his _father_ was. The military was beginning to move. A base of theirs had been attacked, on the outskirts of Central- by an apparently 'monstrous' woman, no less. It didn't require much thought to realize who _that_ could be.

The fact that his teacher was going to be here, in the thick of this battle, gave him no comfort whatsoever.

He knew she could take care of herself, but she was _sick_ and he didn't like the idea of anyone that he cared about being in danger.

That thought made him think of Resembool- and a certain mechanic's refusal to leave the country, to be in absolute safety...

He shook his head. There were other things to worry about.

Like how the hell he was gonna dive in the gate at the same time as 'Father' and get his and Al's original bodies back.

Ed laced his fingers together, feeling Al's cold armor hand fall on his shoulder in comfort. Well, there was no way that he wouldn't _try_...it might work, and was their best option now.

A sudden, silent, exclamation caught his attention.

Greed had stood up, from his place by the fire, and was staring into the dark alley behind them, eyes narrowed. Scar, Ed, and Al instantly stood in reaction to the homunculus's action.

Something glinted strangely in Greed's eyes. "Two people are coming."

"Who?!" Ed snarled, while Scar asked- "Why has no one raised the alarm?"

Greed snorted. His face was an odd combination- he seemed to be fighting both a grimace and a smile. "These two can go easily without being detected." The smile won the battle, and for a moment, a small one was on his face.

"Relax. I know these scents."

Ed blinked, staring from Greed's calm face, to the darkness behind them. He could hear footsteps all of a sudden, and a figure stepped out of the darkness- mask in place, weapons ready, sporting a shining, automail arm-

"Master," Ran Fan bowed- clear relief saturating her usually toneless voice.

Before Greed could open his mouth, another sound erupted through the air:

"AL-SAMA!"

A small shape hurtled out of the darkness, and flung herself at the towering form of Alphonse, nearly knocking him to the ground.

"Oh, Al-sama, I am so happy to see you again!" The small figure cried, hugging him as tight as she could.

"Wha- Mei?" Al asked in disbelief. "What are you doing here? With Ran Fan no less?"

"Yes," Scar said, rubbing his forehead as though he had a headache. "What _are_ you doing here? You were to take that homunculus back to Xing, to your emperor!"

Mei moved back from Al a little. She smiled at Scar, who kept his dark countenance. "I came because you are my friends," she said very clearly. "I would not be able to call myself a Xingan, or a princess, if I did not help and honor my friends." She patted her bag. "The homunculus is safe with me."

Scar opened his mouth, looking exceedingly irritated, only to have Al cut across him. "Scar," he began. "Brother, Doctor, I think it's good that she's here. Her alchemy isn't affected by what 'Father' does. She's a good fighter. We could use her."

Mei beamed.

Ed sighed. "Yeah," He muttered, not that happy about the turnabout. Scar seemed even less pleased, crossing his arms and turning away.

"But you didn't answer my other question, Mei," Al said. "Why...are you here with Ran Fan? Aren't you two...sort of, enemies?"

Mei frowned, glancing back at the masked bodyguard. There was still great dislike in her eyes. "We work with each other, as we work with all of you. To stop these homunculi, to save this place."

Ran Fan's eyes glinted behind her mask. "We have put aside our warring clans for now, until this is settled." She turned her eyes back to Greed, who grinned at her- his face holding no trace of Ling. Ran Fan seemed to flinch a little.

Doctor Marcoh came forward, clapping his hands together once to gain attention, a grin spreading on his malformed face. "Well then," He said. "Seems like our chances have just improved."

Ed and Al exchanged a look. They could only hope that the doctor was right.

((()))

Winry let out an irritated sigh. Sometimes, people were _really, __**really,**_ stupid.

In her desperate attempt to evacuate the city, many of the people she had spoken to had taken a very long time to convince that anything was wrong, let alone the necessity of evacuation. Some had even laughed, or slammed their door in her face. Others had taken a while, simply because they didn't seem to grasp the concept of 'danger'.

Luckily, with Hohenheim helping, they had managed to clear almost everyone from the area that they had started in, and were working on another.

She knew that it would have to end soon, though.

Winry tried not to think about it. But it crept into her thoughts- at every door before it opened, at the sight of the tired faces that answered, the glimpse to toys left behind by children- the reminders of those that could still die. She took small comfort in the fact that Gracia and Elysia were safe, but there were still so many...

It wasn't as though Winry doubted that Ed and Al would save Amestris, she had no doubts about that. But she knew that there was a high possibility of people dying, though Amestris itself would be saved.

Winry sighed. There was so little that she could do...

Hohenheim's hand gripped her shoulder. "Miss Rockbell, it's time." And before she could react, he was placing his hand on her head, running it over her hair. Winry held still as he placed his fingers over her eyes, fighting the desire to rub them as a faint itchiness spread.

"Thanks," She murmured when he stepped back. He had already changed himself. He nodded, with a brief smile. He seemed to be eyeing her carefully.

"Remember your promise." Hohenheim said. "I have to go now, before Father can make his move." His gaze hardened. "Get out of here, now."

Winry looked away. "Yeah," she muttered. She raised her head to look him in the eyes- eyes so much like Ed and Al's that it almost hurt to look. "Thank you," She said sincerely. "For bringing me here, for doing this. Thank you for everything."

She began to walk away.

She was not two feet away before he spoke. "Miss Rockbell," Hohenheim said. "Know that today you did something brave and good. You...showed a strength today I could hardly have imagined. You are...truly your parents' daughter." He paused, then said in a harder voice- "Remember your promise. Ed...and Al, would suffer greatly if you died."

Winry said nothing, merely nodded, turning around to flash Hohenheim a small, kind, smile. She continued on her way.

((()))

A car horn sounded twice nearby.

Scar looked around, eyes narrowed. "That's the alarm." He said. "Someone from the military is approaching." He swiftly walked in the direction of the sound.

"Hey!" Ed called, running after him. "We have allies in the military, remember?"

Scar turned his head around to look back at Ed. "I am aware of that, FullMetal. We will not kill them, until _you_ identify them."

Ed blinked, sharing a look with his brother, who was clanking along beside him. Mei Chan, who had not left Al's side yet, was staying close to the clanking metal.

They rounded a corner, coming out of the pitch-darkness into the slowly rising morning. It would be starting soon. Ed heard two pairs of footsteps, and knew that Greed and Ran Fan were following them. He sighed, hoping that the people that had been spotted were allies.

Ed came out of the darkness, to see Fuery and Breda, hands up, two Ishvalans pointing guns at them.

"Ed!" Fuery and Breda spoke at the same time, their expressions turning from anxious to relieved. They stepped forward, only to be stopped by the gun-towing Ishvalans.

"There's no time for this!" Breda growled. "Ed, Al, something bad has happened to the Lieutenant!"

"Lieutenant Hawkeye?" Ed and Al cried together. "What happened?" He ran to the two officers, ignoring the armed Ishvalans.

"We're not sure," Fuery said. He looked profoundly shaken. "We heard voices on the other side of the radio- at first it was the Colonel's voice, but then it changed to something else-"

"-And then we heard Fuhrer Bradley, too." Breda added. "They took her, the homunculi or whatever- they took her!" He was shaking. "We were supposed to meet the Colonel at a checkpoint, but they were waiting for us!"

"She told us to run," Fuery said quietly. "To find you two, and the Colonel."

The Ishvalans slowly lowered their weapons.

"How...?" Al muttered weakly, armor trembling. "How can this have happened? Lieutenant Hawkeye's smart and prepared- she shouldn't have fallen easily for a trap!"

Ed's eyebrows furrowed. "You said you heard the Colonel's voice? But then it _changed_?" Ed ran a hand over his forehead. "The Colonel wouldn't betray the Lieutenant. The only thing that leaves is..."

"Envy," Al said with realization. "But he was defeated! He was just a worm! How could he have changed form?"

Very quietly, Mei sank backward. She put a trembling hand in her bag, to find it empty. The jar was nowhere to be found. Tears filled her eyes, and she sank to her knees, shaking.

"I know how." Scar's voice was laced with quiet menace.

There was a moment of silence.

"Mei..." Al said very softly. "What happened?"

When she spoke, her voice was near hysteria. "I- it, it must have fallen out and shattered. I was in a hurry to get here, and I- it-" She stood, sniffling, head bent. Slowly, she bowed. "Forgive me," She whispered. "My life is now at your disposal." She sank to one knee, hands held out, the small panda on her shoulder bending his head too.

"Damnit," Ed hissed. "How could you let this happen?"

"You were supposed to return to your country-" Scar growled, fists clenched. "Now their numbers have only increased- with a very powerful ally at that!"

Mei shook as each barb was released, recoiling as though punched in the gut. Silent tears fell down her face. "I'm sorry," She moaned. "I am so-"

"Don't apologize to us," Al said. His voice was low, and cold. "Apologize to those whose lives may be lost because of your mistake."

"And know that you have to live with the consequences." Ed's voice was chilled, and sharp as a sword.

"Your life is your own. Do with it what you will." Scar turned and began to make his way back to the others.

Ran Fan walked swiftly over to the kneeling girl, slapping her once, twice, across the face. "You clan always had honor. Today, you have betrayed them, and all of Xing."

Greed followed Ran Fan, to stand over the small girl. He looked down at her disdainfully for a moment- and in that moment, Ling shone through. He shook his head, sympathy in his gaze. The moment passed, and Greed gave a heavy snort, walking back with Ran Fan at his heels.

The panda on Mei's shoulder growled at the retreating Homunculus, baring his fangs.

Ed began walking back too, pausing before he entered the darkness. Without turning, he said: "Stand up and walk forward. You've got legs, right? Get up, and go on." His golden eyes flashed in the growing light. "We have to get started." He entered the darkness, heading back toward the small circle of firelight in the distance.

Breda and Fuery chased after him.

Al, and the two Ishvalans keeping watch, was the only ones that remained. Al made a sound that seemed to be a deep sigh. He placed a heavy hand on her heaving shoulder.

"It's not alright now," He said, and his voice was kind. "But you can make it alright. You can help us, and make it right. I know you can."

Mei looked up at him with swimming eyes. Suddenly, without a word, she launched herself at him, burying her face in the cloth that hung on his waist. She sobbed into it for a few minutes, while he patted her back comfortingly.

Then she stood straight and threw her shoulders back. Giving a tremendous smile to Al, she walked back to where the others were, Al and his clanking armor following in her wake.

'_I will make things right,'_ she vowed. _'No matter what.'_

((()))

"Colonel?"

He turned, eyes widening at he sound of Riza Hawkeye's voice. There was nothing behind him, and he frowned, eyes scanning the room. This was where they had agreed to meet up, but she clearly hadn't arrived yet.

Lightly tracing the lines of his pocketwatch, Roy Mustang sighed.

The voice came again: "Colonel?"

His head flashed up, eyes narrowing. "Lieutenant Hawkeye?" Again, no answer.

Roy's eyes narrowed even more, until they were slits. He took his glove out, getting ready to snap. Something was wrong.

The clock on the wall ticked, and faint light made a shine on the tabletops. The carpet squeaked slightly as he moved infinitesimally. His ears strained to hear any breath, any movement, heart hammering. All was still.

"Colonel?" This time, there was a bite of impatience in the voice, sounding even more realistic. The Colonel's fingers squeezed together.

"Lieutenant," He called. "Where are you?" He took a few steps forward, toward the lighter side of the room.

"Right here."

Roy whirled around, raising his hand to strike, freezing as his eyes caught sight of what was before him.

Riza Hawkeye, bloodied and bruised, eyes closed, was held in the arms of Furher Bradley, one of his swords at her throat.

Roy felt as though he had been stabbed with that sword, shaking and staring at the woman so cared about, in the arms of one of his greatest enemies. A look of fierce pain was on his face, eyes dark with the feel of it. As he watched, helpless, Riza's eyes opened a crack, finding his face in her haze.

Bradley smiled, and before Roy could react, moved his sword, thrusting it into the woman's stomach, with a waterfall of blood.

((()))

Winry froze for what felt like the hundredth time. The hairs on the back of her neck were standing up. Swallowing, she looked around herself. Again, there was nothing. Letting out a deep breath, she continued walking toward the train station.

The ground rumbled, and Winry's head flicked around, toward the center of the city. She figured that it had started a while ago, and this sound proved it. Winry swallowed. She had promised to get out of here...shaking her head; she made her way faster along the road toward the train station.

A sound caught her attention.

It wasn't like the other sounds and feelings that had made her freeze- this sound was fragile, soft, wailing. This sound seemed ready to break, beseeching for help. It shattered the air, though it hardly carried to her.

It was the sound of a child crying.

Turning, Winry squinted in the odd light, trying to make out distant shapes. There, trapped beneath two toppled boxes, were two shapes- moving shapes. Children.

Winry hesitated for a fraction of a second.

In that second, she weighed her life, and the likelihood of saving those children. A great battle was coming, and if she stayed behind, she very well could die.

Perhaps if she was quick, she could bring them with her...

And if she did end up staying...well, maybe she could see Ed.

Winry began to run.

The cobbles slid under her feet, the ground rumbling again, nearly making her fall over. Gasping, Winry ran faster. "Hold on!" She called to the trapped children. "Just hold on!"

Skidding to a stop in front of them, Winry pushed on the boxes, grasping a hand of each child. "We have to get out of here," She panted.

The children were even younger than she had thought. No more than seven or eight, clearly related with deep brown hair and wide, frightened, hazel eyes. They trembled. "Come on!" Winry tugged on their hands, running forward. Taking the smallest- a girl –into her arms, the other, a boy, clutching her hand, Winry made her way along the uneven road. The ground rumbled again, and she fell to her knees, scrambling up again though she felt they were scraped bloody.

Winry's breathing came in gasps. A crash sounded behind her and she whirled around.

Huge, hulking, with its tongue lolling out, a monstrous form loomed before her. It ran a slobbering tongue over its teeth. "Oooh," It cackled, sniffing the air. "I smell the FullMetal Alchemist on you!" The mouth bared into a grin. "But you are not the FullMetal Alchemist. I can eat you!" He charged.

Securing the kids, Winry tore down another alley.

He had difficulty fitting in the alley, giving Winry an advantage. She tore down the alley, turning and twisting, slipping on the ground as rumble after rumble sounded.

"Come on," She panted, the children's shrieks ringing in her ears, "Come on!"

And then she spotted it- a dead officer, his head bloody as he lay on the ground, next to a car. She dived at him, hoping that Gluttony was still held in the alley, searching for a key to the automobile. Her fingers felt the smooth, cold, key, and she shoved it in the door, twisting and throwing the door open, the children clambering inside.

Thrusting the key into the ignition, Winry pressed on the gas, desperately trying to remember what she knew about automobiles.

The car took off, Winry spinning the wheel as she turned a corner, needing to get close enough to the station and then lead the Homunculus off...

The streets blurred around her, the car bouncing as the ground rumbled again and again. Spitting her hair out of her face, Winry pressed her foot as flat as it would go on the gas, turning the wheel sharply. Searching desperately for some recognizable street, one close to the station. Eyes catching on something familiar, Winry slammed on the brakes.

"Go!" She shouted. "Get to the train station!"

The children opened the door, scrambling out of it, running along the shaking pavement as soon as their feet hit the ground.

Spinning the wheel again, Winry flung herself around, barely missing a sign on the road, foot pressed flat against the gas pedal again.

Gluttony appeared out of nowhere, crashing through a wall, tongue lashing about.

Slamming the brake, Winry threw herself out of the car, sprinting for another alley. All around her, the ground trembled and buildings collapsed. Wheezing, she desperately searched for some way to escape. Finally, something caught her eye:

A manhole cover, far down the road.

Her legs seemed ready to give out, and to reach the manhole she would have to enter the open street, where Gluttony could easily catch up. Winry tried to run faster.

As soon as she hit the street, a building seemed to explode, bricks flying everywhere. Tripping, Winry picked herself up, coughing as dust filled the air. A huge hand grabbed her around the middle.

"Hee hee, I've got you!" Gluttony crowed.

Kicking and punching, Winry felt in her backpack, arms straining as the creature lifted her toward its mouth. Her fingertips brushed it, and she pulled it out- the scalpel. She was at his mouth now, and moving her arm in a powerful arc, the scalpel flashed through the air, slicing the homunculus across the tongue. He dropped her, crying out in pain. Winry fell, her arm slicing on the creature's teeth, taking her jacket with it.

Screaming in pain she collapsed on the ground, ankle cracking beneath her.

The manhole was still feet away.

Climbing painfully to one foot, Winry began hopping as fast as she could, Gluttony shrieking behind her, collapsing another building.

Winry dived, fingers scraping along the cover, as a building began to fall on top of her, bricks collapsing on her shoulders and legs. Thrusting it open, she slid inside, the cover falling back over it as the house fell above her.

And Winry found herself toppling into darkness.

* * *

Hee. Cliffhanger endings make me write faster. Reviews make me smile inside! Oh, and check out my Ed/Winry story Hesitation. And, for those who haven't, check out my FMA story 'Father'. It's about the relationship between Ed and Hohenheim, and I'm really quite proud of it. Beware of heavy ANGST though, in both stories.

I have another FMA chapter fic planned after I finish this one. It's going to be called 'Bride'. And, yep, it's based off of the Princess Bride. With many liberties, I can assure you. (After all, Ed's certainly no Weasly. And Winry's no wimpy Buttercup either.) But the story itself is so good, that I couldn't resist. It's still in the works however, so mostly expect one-shots from me after this.

Okay, reviews:

LittleChemist: Thank you! I don't think you said very much, actually, so it's okay. But I recognize all of my reviewers. Why does the manga give you a headache? Maybe I'll have to check out your story...

YourFavoritePlushie: Thanks! I hope this didn't disappoint. I know their 'group' wasn't in it much, but that will change with the next few chapters. I just have to get the hang of some of the characters.

justme123: Ok, 1, Thank you! 2, Your welcome, my pleasure! and 3, yes you did. (Blushes) Thanks!

SilverStarlight7: Thank you! I'm glad you like. :)

sakuno101: Thank you! I like Winry's attitude too. Maybe I'll have to check out your fic...and I hope this was soon enough. :)

Mecha-Griever: Thanks very much. I loved her speech too, and her strength and loyalty toward Ed was what I was going for. As for their reunion...well, you have _no _idea. :) MUWAHAHAHA! Does your name have to do with FF8? I've written stuff for it, if you're interested. Seven and ten too.

That's all! Next chapter preview:

Love and Loss: _To one person you may be the world. _What if, in the thick of the battle, so many things have gone wrong, and almost no one knows? How can men deal with the possibility that their 'world' may very well be gone? Well, Roy Mustang isn't about to let that happen, even with the consequences. And just when things start to look up, Ed realizes that he may have lost more than he could have ever imagined.

I'm thinking about doing this chapter in two parts- it'll be really long otherwise.

Till next update! Live, laugh, and love always.

AerithHeartilly


	5. Love and Loss, Part One

Woot! Another update! I've already started on the second part of this, so the next update should be pretty soon.

Please, everyone note: I like Mei. I truly do. There were some worries about how I was treating her in this story, and let it be known that I CANNOT stand character bashing. It's just plain mean. So the treatment of her character was not intended as such. Also, I'm starting to become a pretty big supporter of Mei and Al...so...yeah.

Oh! My birthday was a few weeks ago- remarkably, I didn't say anything about it sooner. I am now- as far as you all know- fifteen. Yes, I am serious. If updates are late, aquit the cause to High School. It is nice to be fifteen though. I'm a Leo!

DISCLAIMER: If I owned FullMetal Alchemist, Roy Mustang would never have murdered Winry's parents in the anime. She would have had that amazing scene with Scar.

As usual, a big thanks to please-knock, my fantastic beta. She gets a virtual hug. :)

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter Five

Love and Loss- Part One

**_"To the world you might be one person, but to one person you might be the world." -Anon._**

Riza Hawkeye was dying.

Roy Mustang fell to his knees as Riza's body was dropped to the ground, Fuhrer Bradley running out of the room without a backward glance.

"No," Roy muttered weakly, crawling over to Riza's quivering body, which was pumping blood. "_No..."_ His shaking hands grasped her shoulders, feeling her pulse, desperately trying to stem the flow of blood. He couldn't understand why he was moving so slowly- if there was ever a time for speedy actions, now was it- but he couldn't seem to get his limbs to cooperate. His brain seemed to be moving at a trickle of a pace.

The warm blood seeped on his hands, staining the white gloves red. Riza's lips moved weakly, a tremor of sound escaping them, as though she was trying to speak. "D-don't," Roy wheezed, his throat closing up. Crimson eyes found his, and he felt his heart jump up to his throat, realization hitting him. His fists slammed on both sides of her head. "NO, DAMNIT!" He roared. "DON'T YOU DIE ON ME LIEUTENANT! DAMNIT, STAY WITH ME!" His hands slapped the ground hard again. Riza's eyelids flickered.

"_..g-go..."_ Her voice rasped.

Roy's eyes narrowed. "Like hell I'm leaving you here." His mind raced...there had to be something that he could do...

Riza's eyes closed and her breathing became almost nonexistent. "NO!" Roy screamed. "DON'T YOU DARE GO BEFORE ME! THAT'S AN ORDER, LIEUTENANT!"

A memory flickered over his mind- a period of his life that would leave a part of him forever grieving. When he had stood over the grave of Maes Hughes...

"_...Right now, a part of me is desperately trying to remember a theory on human transmutation..."_

But at this moment it wasn't even a part of him, the thought. It was all-consuming. He knew the consequences. He knew the cost. But, as Riza Hawkeye's breathing stopped, he realized that he didn't give a damn.

((()))

Izumi frowned.

This wasn't quite what she had expected. No one had come to investigate the attack on the military office. She knew that they had heard about it, but no one had come.

Sig put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

Izumi sighed. "Come on, Sig. We'd better go. They need us."

He nodded, and together they walked through the door, leaving the unconscious and bound men to whatever fate lay ahead.

They had not gone far outside when a tremor shook the ground. Izumi and Sig froze. Izumi turned her head toward the center of Central, narrowing her eyes.

"Well," She said. "Looks like they started without us."

((()))

The ground rumbled again.

Ed cursed, avoiding the slab of rock that shot out of the ground toward them. The homunculi didn't want to kill him or Al, but incapacitating them was another story.

Scar charged ahead of him, placing his palm on the forehead of another military official, one that he had no choice but to fight, as they were firing their guns at them with all their might.

Al ran on Ed's other side, the small Xingan girl on his shoulders. Mei jumped fluidly off of them, twirling in the air, throwing her knives at the sprinting form of Envy. Growling, Envy changed form again, pulling the knives out of his bloody side. "Nice try!" He snarled, now the form of Doctor Marcoh- newly malformed face and all.

Mei's eyes narrowed. She snorted, delicately, charging forward again. "No matter what you do-" She shouted, twirling through the air and pulling out more knives. "-No matter what form you take-" Her voice was growing in volume, rising as though pulled from the depths of her soul- "I will not stop until I have finished you!" She swiftly dodged another attack, swinging around and throwing her knives. "I am a warrior of Xing! And you-" Mei moved out of the way as a boulder was hurtled toward her. "-You, you will _not_ win!"

Al, Ed noticed randomly, was watching Mei as often as he could- as though worried, and yet full of admiration. Ed couldn't help but be a bit impressed himself.

_Looks like the bean girl will be able to make things right,_ he thought. Surprisingly, he found that he had never doubted that to begin with.

The ground shuddered, and Ed scrambled out of the way as another building collapsed. Falling onto his knees, he felt the building fall not two feet away. Looking up, Ed saw Greed, Ran Fan, and Scar engaged in a three-way battle against Bradley.

Gluttony and Pride were still nowhere to be seen, let alone their 'Father'.

Al, who was engaged in a battle against the lumbering Sloth, was thrown against the wall of another building. He had been distracted by Ed's effort to scramble away from the collapsing foundations, and had not seen the gigantic fist come toward him.

"AL!" Ed screamed, leaping to his feet. But the Xingan princess beat him to it, shoving Envy with all her might, she charged toward the towering Sloth, screaming Al's name. Running after her, Ed's ears heard a small sound of fear. He wasn't sure why the sound distracted him- especially at a time like this –but he slowed, staring toward the direction of the sound. He stopped dead as he saw someone coming out of the wreckage of a building toward him.

Bruised, battered, and bleeding, the form of Winry Rockbell walked toward him, relief shining in her crystal eyes.

((()))

Roy Mustang pressed his hands onto the transmutation circle.

It began to glow a bright blue, silhouetting the prone form of Riza Hawkeye. The blood was a halo out of the very depths of hell against the light from the circle.

His hands pressed flat against the ground. If anyone were to come in, they would not recognize the man in front of them. There was a wildness there, a despair, so unlike the man that many knew as Colonel Mustang. His lips parted, and a howl escaped from their dried recesses, echoing pitifully in the room. He was beyond reason, now.

"You can't leave me, Lieutenant..." He rasped, feeling a wetness pool in his eyes and fall to the ground. It was so strange, this clearness of thought. There was no second-guess, no wondering. It was clear, simple. She had to stay with him. He didn't care about anything else. He had felt this before, the despair shake him so that all of his actions made sense without thinking about them. His words and feelings made perfect sense. What was it about despair that made this act so easy, so _right_?

The world was a jumble of things, but right now- right now, all that mattered, was that Roy Mustang was going to save Riza Hawkeye. He didn't have any doubt.

He was going to save her, and, _damn it_, she was going to be okay and be with him for the rest of their lives. And together, they would live.

Together, they...

"Wake up, Riza." His voice was still a rasp. It was as though his cries had rubbed the skin of his throat raw. Everything was starting to get hazy. He crawled toward her, shakily, nearly tumbling to the ground, reaching out with a trembling hand to push back her golden hair.

"Wake up," He whispered again. "There's so much I have to tell you..."

((()))

Ed felt as though one of those rocks he had been dodging had contacted with his stomach. "W-Winry?" He gasped, taking a step toward her, horror washing through him.

"Ed!" She cried, smiling and crying at the same time, stumbling toward him.

He caught her automatically, holding her at arm's length. "Damnit, Winry! I told you to stay home!" His eyes swept over her injuries. "And now you're hurt!" He looked over to where Al and Mei were still fighting Sloth. "Listen, you need to get out of here, the homunculi will kill you if they find you! I gotta go help Al-"

"Wait, Ed!" She pulled him toward her, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Please..." She whispered into his shirt. "Don't go..."

"Win...Winry..." Ed felt himself blushing. He shook his head, snapping out of it. "Listen, I need to keep fighting! You need to get out of here now, before-"

He froze. Al and Mei were battling Sloth, Ran Fan and Greed were handling Bradley, Scar darting toward a dark moving shape...

Envy was nowhere to be seen.

Winry was suddenly torn from his grasp, faster than his eyes could track. Gasping, Ed found himself facing Envy, who smirked. "Before what, FullMetal?"

Ed's eyes became slits. A low growl escaped his throat. "Bastard," He hissed. "Leave Winry out of this! Don't you dare touch her!" He charged, bringing the blade of his automail down in a powerful arc.

"Ed?"

In the time that it had taken to blink, Winry was before him; eyes full of fear, tears leaking down her face. "Ed..." She cried, reaching out toward him. "Why are you doing this?"

Ed skidded to a stop, stumbling as the ground rumbled again. "Wha-"

Envy's face was suddenly close to his. "Do try to keep up, FullMetal," He purred, grinning. With an inhuman roar, Ed thrust his blade into the stomach of the homunculus, toppling over on top of the stunned Envy. "Hah," Ed coughed, struggling to his knees.

A strangled sound- soft, mixed with a sob- reached him.

And Ed felt his mouth fall open in horror, seeing before him, with blood pumping from her wound, Winry, his transmuted automail between her ribs.

Ed pulled out his blade, backing away. "Wha-" He panted. A cry formed in his throat, drowning and thrusting itself out of his soul- _"No..."_ He gasped, staring at the tear-filled blue eyes below him. "_NO!_"

"Ed..." Winry gasped, hands pushing at the blood-soaked wound. "Why...are you...hurting...me?"

"Winry..." Ed whimpered, reaching out toward her. "I- Winry- _no_...!"

This couldn't be happening...

It couldn't' be...

He wouldn't...

She couldn't possibly...she can't...

This couldn't be...

...real...

Ed's head snapped up, golden eyes wide and nostrils flaring. "This isn't real," He hissed. He stood up, standing over the bleeding Winry.

"Ed...?" She whimpered, and Ed flinched as the sound passed her lips. Gritting his teeth and biting back a moan, Ed stared down at her, hard. "Get up, damn you."

"But Ed...I..."

"SHUT UP! SHUT THE HELL UP!" Ed's scream tore from his throat as the Winry below him began to sob harder.

"I...I..._I love you, Ed..."_

He couldn't stop the strangled half-cry that escaped him. "Damnit, Envy." He chocked. "I'm gonna kill you..." His eyes closed halfway, his fists clenched.

"Well, that's not a nice way to respond when someone says 'I love you', FullMetal." Envy sneered, changing back to his usual form. He grinned. "What's the matter? To hard to see your girlfriend dead by your own hands?"

Ed's head flashed around, as another tremor shook the earth. His eyes glinted dangerously. Because now, for the rest of his life, his dreams would be haunted by the sight of Winry, dying and bleeding, because of him...

"AAAAAAGGHHHHHH! ENVY!"

((()))

Olivier Armstrong cursed fluidly under her breath.

They were losing. Badly. She needed to get out there, but...she also needed to stay out of the fight. She wasn't going to battle her comrades, and she be damned if she fought the homunculi right now. She needed to get close to their 'Father'.

But, damn it; they were getting their asses kicked!

Where the hell were the rest of their comrades? That fool Mustang was nowhere to be found, let alone her pathetic brother...

Olivier's hand clenched on the stone railing, looking at the battle below. She needed to _do_ something! But what could she do without blowing her cover...?

The tiniest sound reached her ears, and she whirled around, neatly dodging out of the way of an alchemized fist of rock. A tall, black-haired woman in white stared at her with narrowed eyes. A big man with black hair and a coarse beard stood behind her, his arms crossed. The woman's eyebrows pulled together.

"Wait.." She murmured. "I know you..." Her dark eyes lit and she exclaimed- "Major General Armstrong! From Briggs!" Realization hit her. "Oh. Sorry about that. I thought you were some other idiot that I had to knock out..." Smiling embarrassedly, the woman clapped her hands together, pressing them onto the frozen rock fist, turning it back to normal. "I am Izumi Curtis, former Sensei of the Elric brothers." She gestured to the behemoth behind her- "This is my husband, Sig."

Olivier's frown deepened, not really trusting the woman, merely nodding before turning back to stare at the battle below.

The woman was beside her in an instant. "I see. They need help." Izumi nodded. "But you can't go out there. Too much depends on your secrecy." She grinned. "Besides, I can take care of more than enough of these..." Gesturing to her husband, she stepped onto the balcony, hands between her knees on the stone. Turning her head to smirk at Olivier, Izumi said- "Don't worry. I'll beat up a few extra for you, to make up for your sitting out." With that, she lept off of the ledge, clapping her hands together and dragging her palm along the side of the building, creating a pole out of the building, going diagonally, sliding down it to the ground.

The husband, Sig, sighed. "Izumi!" He called down, "Just because you can breathe easier doesn't mean that you can do everything in your power to make _my_ breathing stop!"

With another sigh as her response held little apology, he lept over the side, grabbing the pole in his large hands and sliding to the ground beside his now battling wife.

Olivier Armstrong stared in faint bewilderment. She couldn't stop the small smirk that came to her face though. She couldn't help but rather like this Izumi Curtis...

((()))

Ed let out a grunt as another of Envy's blows crashed into him, knocking him to the ground. Eyes wild, Ed scrambled to his feet, another roar escaping him.

Something white blocked his vision and he stopped.

"Go, Ed." Izumi's voice broke through the fury and pain that had smothered Ed, like a slap to the face. "I can handle him. Find this 'Father.' Get your and Al's original bodies back!" With that, she charged, clapping her hands together and making a long spear out of a broken hunk of metal.

"Sensei..." Ed murmured, staring after her for a moment. Taking a deep breath, he began running toward the main Central Military building. Kicking open the broken door, Ed found himself staring at a very dark room. The light from outside made a path like a hallway before him. Not pausing, he sprinted down the hall of light, toward the other doors that he knew were there.

He didn't go through any of the doors. Somehow, he knew that 'Father' wouldn't be behind any of those doors. He felt an odd tugging, pulling him forward and up the stairs toward the conference room.

Along the way, he swore that he saw a faint blue light, like from a transmutation circle, shining out from the crack under a door.

((()))

Everything was so hard.

Riza Hawkeye had undergone many challenges in her life. But this, this was the hardest thing she had ever had to do.

It hurt, so much. Selfishly, she wanted the pain to end. She wanted to fade into this numb blackness, so that she didn't have to feel the pain anymore. It was so hard to breathe, to open her eyes...but she knew that she had to try. There was something that was keeping her from fading, something that told her to keep going.

It was a voice. A somehow wonderful voice...

It wasn't wonderful in its sweetness, or gentleness. The voice was hardened by pain. Pain, that she was causing. She had to wake up, so that she could make the pain in that voice fade away forever.

And Riza Hawkeye would be damned if she went out without a fight,

"_...wake up. There's so much I have to tell you..."_

Riza grasped at the fight that was still within her, rising above the feeling to just stop breathing, to just let it end...

"_I'm...counting...on that...Colonel..."_

((()))

Hohenheim grunted in pain as one of 'Father's' defenses hit him in the gut. Rolling on the ground to avoid another one, he charged forward again.

"Give up, Hohenheim," 'Father' said. He hadn't even moved an inch since Hohenheim had entered the room.

Hohenheim said nothing; merely alchemizing the ground to make him push off toward the leader of the homunculi, his feet hitting the wall, and pushing off again, back toward the motionless creature. This time, the homunculus raised one hand, and the chair next to him morphed, becoming a gate around him.

Hohenheim made no sound as he hit the ground.

Behind him, the door opened, his son walking into the room.

'Father' smiled.

((()))

Roy Mustang felt as though he had survived millennia of suffering.

Below him, dried blood on her breast flaking, Riza Hawkeye blinked, crimson eyes opening slowly. Her breath drew in shakily. "Well..." She gasped. "What is it that you need to tell me, Colonel?" She smiled softly.

His answering grin seemed to be the incarnate of happiness. He leaned down, bringing his lips close to her ear. "Many things, Lieutenant. I've got the rest of our lives to tell you." He laughed a little, and it broke at the end. "For now..." His voice was a quiet whisper. "Two things: Don't you die before me, and don't you ever leave."

He pressed his face into her cheek, her hair, and Riza felt a warm wetness fall on her. She made a low sound in her throat, reaching up behind his head to threat her fingers through his hair. "Never...Roy..."

He stiffened for a moment, and then he pulled her closer, pressing himself into her, and Riza felt a warm touch on her cheek and collar bone- faint, wet, kisses against her skin.

She hugged him back, knowing now that she could never let go.

((()))

"Welcome, Edward."

Ed glared. Hohenheim, from his place behind Father, drew a shaky breath.

Clenching his fists, Ed ran forward, nearly running into a wooden slab that rose out of the ground to block him. Jumping over it as it formed, Ed spun through the air, his transmuted automail blade moving in a high arc.

A wall split the room, separating from the other walls, beginning to build a cage around them. "Gah!" Ed cried, rolling out of the way as the new wall spread across the room.

"Hm." Father said. "You are all far too late. I felt it- Roy Mustang has performed human transmutation. He has seen the gate. All of our human sacrifices are here..."

Father, smiling, raised both of his hands, clapping them together.

In the split second that it took for him to bring his hands together, many things happened.

One- was that Hohenheim wound his way around the gate in front of the homunculus, shoving him forward.

Another- was that a beam of light sprouted, filing the room so that Ed was soon surrounded by whiteness.

The third thing was that a huge gate rose before him, and Ed found himself standing before the Gate of Truth, the Father of the homunculi at his side.

And the fourth thing- is that many feet away in the never-ending whiteness, a hunched, malnutritioned body turned, a wide smile on his face.

"Hello, Brother," Al's body said, standing. "I knew you'd come. I've been waiting a long time..."

Ed fell to his knees.

Beside him, the homunculi Father narrowed his eyes. "This is impossible," He growled.

"_I suppose that depends on how you look at it."_

Turning, Ed and the homunculus saw the glowing, humanoid shape of Truth- Ed's arm and leg the only solid things on its form. Truth cocked his 'head' to the side.

"_Back again, are you?"_ He questioned Ed, who gritted his teeth.

"You know what I'm here for," Ed growled, getting to his feet. "My arm and leg- and Al's body!" He took a step forward, holding out his automail hand in a fist.

"_Indeed. And you..." _This he directed at Father- _"You have defied me for a long time. Fool. Did you rid yourself of your wits along with the rest of your emotions? That man used his alchemy to send you here."_

The lines of Father's face deepened in his scowl. "You cannot hold me here. I-"

"_You what? I am Truth. You may defy me outside of this place, but you are in my realm now. You can do nothing before the Gate."_

The homunculus tried to move, but seemed unable to. Struggling against invisible bonds, he growled, eyes flashing to the still motionless Truth. Truth watched him struggle for a moment, almost as though amused. _"You see?"_ he said. _"I control everything here. Now be silent." _The homunculus continued to struggle, but in complete silence.

Truth turned his attention to Ed. Before he could say anything however, Al was there, walking swiftly over to his brother, leaping at him and hugging him tight. Ed's arms automatically came up as well.

"Al..."

"_Hmm..."_ Truth said. _"It would seem that you have brought something in exchange for your bodies."_ Truth gestured to the still struggling homunculus. _"It is more than enough for his-" _Truth gestured to Al- _"Body and soul to be reunited. However...only one of your limbs can return with you."_ Truth pointed at Ed.

"Brother..." Al whimpered. Ed shook his head. "Al, d'you want me to be sad? Are you kidding? I get one limb back, and you get your whole body!" He grinned. "Besides, I think the only reason Winry hangs out with us is because of my automail." Ed turned his attention to Truth, eyebrows pulled together, frowning with hard eyes.

"Equivalent Exchange?" He questioned.

Truth nodded its formless head. _"Indeed, Edward Elric. You have long followed and spread this ability. Consider that move...appreciated."_

Ed could have sworn that in its own way, Truth was smiling.

"Uh...sure."

"_Then return, Elric brothers. Your knowledge came at a price, and you have paid. Know only that there are still a great many things that you must do. Battles that you must fight."_ Truth spread his 'arms'- one of them Ed's- out wide.

"_Pick your limb, FullMetal Alchemist."_

Ed's face became pensive. His brows drew together for a moment, and then relaxed. "My leg," He said, and his voice reverberated in the white nothingness.

Truth made no movement, gave no sound. Suddenly Ed was on the ground, gasping in pain. His automail leg was gone, and sewing itself to his skin, was his own flesh leg.

"_Farewell, Elric brothers."_ The whiteness began to fade.

"_...We will meet again, someday..."_

((()))

Al froze.

He was feeling it again, the pull on his soul. Dropping to his knees, Al tried to concentrate, his armor limbs convulsing.

He threw his head back, and gave a cry- "No!"

He fell to the ground, and moved no more.

"Al-sama!" Mei cried, running toward him. "Al-sama!" She grabbed his arm, lifting it, and letting it drop. There was no response. Half-heartedly, Xaio Mei ambled down her shoulder, biting Al's armor hand. Still, nothing.

Mei felt tears fill her eyes. "No!" She cried. "Al-sama!" She shook him harder. "Al-sama! Al-sama! Please, please wake up! Don't leave me Al-sama!"

Behind her, the homunculus Sloth fell to the ground, causing a small tremor of his own, body dissolving away until only a gargantuan skeleton was left.

((()))

Greed fell to his knees.

"Master!" Ran Fan called, dropping beside him, reaching out. "Master, what is wrong?"

Greed was shaking. Jerkily, his voice came out- "G-get...away..."

Blinking, Ran Fan stayed where she was. Greed sank further into the ground. A strangled half-cry escaped him before he collapsed, breathing shallow.

"Master Ling!" Ran Fan cried, grasping his shoulders and shaking them.

Scar, who had only been momentarily distracted, took advantage of the convulsing Bradley, springing forward and pressing his palm to the homunculus's face.

"Die," Scar said.

Bradley's face exploded, his body falling to the ground, where he moved no more.

Greed's eyes opened. "Ugh..." He moaned, rubbing his head.

"Master Ling?" There was astonishment in Ran Fan's voice. For looking into the homunculus's eyes, there was no trace of Greed. Only Ling. He looked up at her and smiled a little shakily. "I can hardly hear him, anymore..." He whispered wonderingly.

Suddenly, he pulled her into an embrace.

Ling sighed contentedly. "I've been wanting to do that for a while..." Ran Fan was frozen, unable to will herself to even return the gesture- though she very much wanted to,

Suddenly, a sound burst between them, interrupting their hug.

"Damn," Ling said, gripping his stomach. "I'm starved."

((()))

Roy Mustang growled as the homunculus Envy thrust another blow at him.

"Wonder if you'll last longer than your buddy did," Envy smirked. "One shot from me was all it took. You have quite a reputation Colonel, and I wonder if you'll live up to it, and survive longer than that other guy..."

Roy paid the homunculus no mind, snapping his fingers again.

"What was his name...? Oh yes...Hughes, wasn't it?"

For a moment, Roy Mustang saw red.

Before he could do anything but stare with shock and hate at the sadistic homunculus, Envy dropped to the ground, shrieking and convulsing.

And at that moment Roy knew only one thing. That homunculus was dying, and he still had some unfinished business with it. Roy would be damned if he let it die by any hand other than his own.

So he promptly drew his rarely used gun, and fired at the homunculus, fired until the bullets ran out and the homunculus dissolved away, leaving only a skeleton behind.

And Roy was left standing above the remains of the monster that had murdered his best friend.

((()))

The darkness around her suddenly disappeared.

Izumi picked herself off of the ground, leaning a little against Sig.

Out of the top window of a still-standing building, the body of a child fell.

He hit the ground, screaming and shaking, hands clawing at his face. Instinctively, Izumi reached out for it.

A bullet rang out of the floating debris, striking the shrieking child until it became quiet.

Turning, Izumi saw a figure stepping out of the dirty gloom, covered with fresh battle scars. The figure flipped back its hood to reveal a young, black-haired woman holding a small military handgun.

She smiled a little. "Hello. I'm Maria Ross."

Izumi blinked. Staring down at the dead remains of what had seemed to be a child, she curled her hands around her stomach, closing her eyes.

Rain began to fall.

((()))

When Ed opened his eyes, he found himself staring at his very surprised father, with a very naked Alphonse clinging to him.

Disentangling himself, Ed stood, surprised to find that his footing was a little wobbly. "Huh," He said, rolling up his pant leg and looking down at his flesh leg. "Looks like I'll need to build the strength up a little."

Al was still on the ground. He seemed to be in shock.

"B-brother..." He whispered. "I- I'm really..."

Ed squatted down next to him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Yep, Al. You're really back." The brothers shared a smile of understanding, happiness, and pain. They had finally done it, what they had set out to do. They embraced for a moment, until Ed noticed how weak his brother's grip was.

"Come on, Al. You need a hospital."

Al reached out for their father as his brother helped him stand, wrapping a ripped curtain around Al's waist.

"Father..." Al said, reaching out. "Won't you come with us?" Al smiled. Ed grimaced.

Hohenheim smiled too. "In a while, son. I promise. There's just something that I need to check up on, first."

((()))

And so Hohenheim found himself standing in the ruins of a building.

The skeleton of the thing that had been Gluttony was only a few feet away.

And in its mouth, hanging on its teeth, was a black jacket- the one that a certain mechanic had been wearing- smeared with blood.

And Hohenheim nearly fell to his knees.

Winry Rockbell was dead. Eaten by Gluttony.

((()))

Far below the skeleton and the horrified man, a young girl woke. Looking at the darkness around her, she felt a searing pain all over her body, crying out into what seemed to be an endless night.

* * *

Yay! Another cliffhanger!

Why is it so much fun to torture the main characters? I mean, with that whole part with Ed and Envy, I was like: "HOW CAN I BE DOING THIS?!" and then- "BECAUSE I CAN! MUHAHAHA!" Writers are kinds messed up. -.-

As for the whole Olivier thing, call me crazy, but I think her and Izumi would totally get along. As for the whole Greed/Ling thing...Greed is still there, and more about that will be explained. Greed's just VERY weak.

Reviews:

S J Smith: You have no idea how cool it is for me to get a review from you. Seriously, I'm geekin' out here. :) Thanks, Ed and Al were fairly easy for me to nail personality wise, I was a little cautious about Mustang though, especially for this chapter...and I like the part with Winry and the soldier too. Hee. :) As for the loincloth thing...yeah, rather disturbing. But I can't really see her pressing her face into his armor. She'd decapitate herself. Thanks for reviewing!

Arden Anam: As you can see, both Riza and Winry are alive. For how long Winry will stay that way...remains to be seen. MUHAHA! As for Winry breaking her ankle...well, you'll see next chapter. Thanks for the review!

Cerulean San: Thank you. I really appreciate that. :)

LittleChemist: Thank you! That's too bad about your eye and the manga. (Gives you laser eye surgery over the internet) Does that help? ;) Oh course I recognize you! And I like Mei, but to each their own.

YourFavoritePlushie: Thanks for the review! Yep, so many questions, so little time. Some of those questions won't really be answered till next chapter!

Took-Baggins: Thank you! I really like your stories by the way, you're a good writer. :) Im glad you liked, and hope this lives up to expectations.

alchemichelper101: Wow, what a compliment. (Blushes) Thank you! As for the wonderful EdWin reuinion...you'll have to wait and see. :)

Orange Singer: Thank you. I really appreciate that. :) Mangaverse stories rule.

That's it! Warning for next chapter: HEAVY ANGST. Like, SERIOUSLY.

Next Chapter preview:

Love and Loss, Part 2: Hohenheim brings Ed away from his hospitalized brother to tell him everything about Winry- inculding her confession, and the bloody jacket found with Gluttony's remains. Meanwhile, below Central, a badly injured girl makes here journey...but can she survive the undertaking with the loss of blood?

Till next time!

AerithHeartilly


	6. Love and Loss, Part Two

Hey! Extra long chapter here. Beware the ANGST. Actually, I'm a little nervous about it- I hope I didn't over do it...

Okay, to explain a few things. One, some of you might be wondering about why the homunculi attacked Riza (other than to incapacitate Mustang) well...my sister pointed out to me that Roy was never a 'confirmed human sacrifice' only a 'potential' one. All of the confirmed scrifces could do Alchemy without circles. And except in Hohenheim's case, they had seen the gate. And in one of the chapters, Wrath said that Roy Mustang's strong point, and also his weak point, is that he cared too much. And that he knew how to, and would make, Roy see the gate. Thus, to me, I think that means trying to kill Riza. However, in this story, he didn't count on Riza's ability to fight against death- he underestimated her. So, no, Roy did not really do human transmutation. He thought that he had to, but while he healed her, he did not technically bring her to life or 'create life'.

Also, it has been brought to my attention that the last chapter was a tad bit rushed. I agree. Right now I just want to finish this story, but later I will probably go back and edit, add more to it. At the time, I honestly couldn't think of anything else to add, I was to anxious to post the chapter. BUT, to provide you all with more details, I will most likely go into a number of flashbacks, or explanations as to what other characters were doing at certain times.

And, for the next few chapters (yes, this story is almost over, but there's at least two more chapters) I want you to ask yourself this question...

Where...is...Kimbley...?

I hope I haven't been the only one wondering about that in the manga. :D

This chapter is loaded with EdWin, and some AlMei.

As usual, this was edited by the wonderful please-knock. She deserves props, yo!

And, for those that DON'T know- they are REMAKING THE ANIME! I am not kidding. They are making a new FMA anime, most likely following the manga more closely. I am MONDO excited. All those sweet EdWin, Royai, and AlMei moments...and no Dante...or Noa...or Anime Rose...

THINK OF THE POSSIBILITIES!!

Ahem. I'm done now.

DISCLAIMER: If I could make one wish, it would be to own FMA. So, until my magic lamp is unpacked, it still belongs to Hiromu Arakawa. She is a genius!

And, finally, enjoy!

* * *

Chapter Six

Love and Loss- Part Two

**_"A teardrop is insignificant in a pool of water, but it can touch the soul as it runs down someone's face."- Anon._**

Her body was broken.

The darkness pressed down around her, and Winry bit back a cry. Blinking at the thick, hot, tears that fell down her face, she tried to move. The pain in her limbs skyrocketed, and a sharp wail escaped her. Gasping, she tried to form a coherent thought as to her injuries. Her right leg was broken for sure. Her left ankle throbbed. One of her arms was pumping a slow trickle of warm blood, and felt broken. Her other arm, miraculously, was fine. Something thick was trailing down her cheek and scalp- blood. She was on her stomach, in complete darkness. Straining her ears, she was sure that she heard water running swiftly nearby.

In a rush, it all came back to her, and her wounds explained themselves.

Her arm was bleeding because of Gluttony's teeth. And she was broken because she had dived into a manhole to escape the homunculus.

Gritting her teeth, Winry reached around with her uninjured arm, searching desperately in her torn backpack. A few things were missing, but luckily, the object that she sought remained. Her aching fingers fumbled on the flashlight, pulling it out, letting a hiss escape her teeth as she relaxed on her straining limbs. Pushing her thumb on the lever, Winry flicked the flashlight on. Immediately, a beam of light blinded her.

Gasping and blinking, she saw a long pathway illuminated by the flashlight. Far away, barely within the beam of light, was a ladder, most likely leading up to another manhole cover. _Okay,_ she thought, grimacing as another sharper wave of pain rolled through her. _Think, Winry, Think! My left arm isn't injured. If I...push along with my leg that only has an injured ankle, and pull with my arm, I can probably move..._

Closing her eyes tightly, placing the flashlight in her mouth, and exhaling heavily through her nose, Winry stretched out her uninjured left arm, digging her fingernails into the smooth metal. Lifting her hurt ankle off the ground, she pushed with her knee, pulling with her arm. She moved a few inches, but had to stop immediately- panting harshly, wheezing. It felt as though her ribs were bruised, if not broken as well. Each pant sent an even sharper jab of pain into her chest.

Calming her breathing, Winry inhaled sharply through her nose, doing the process of dragging herself all over again. She wasn't able to go as far as the last time, and amid her pain and gasping breaths, she felt frustrated and scared.

She didn't know how long she had been out, but at this rate, she would loose too much blood.

Once the pain in her ribs had lessened, she reached around for her torn backpack, gritting her teeth, tearing off a long strip. Using her uninjured arm to lift her broken one, Winry placed the bit of cloth on the ground, laying her broken arm on top of it. Pausing to regain control of herself and to let the pain fade a little, She tied the ends of the cloth together, over part of the long gash.

She repeated this process until she was fairly sure that the whole wound was bound.

Arching her head back, she let out a long cry. It bubbled up from within her, splintering out of her soul as though pulled by a hook. It felt good to release some of the pain, though the relief was only temporary. Closing her eyes and clenching her jaw, Winry knew that in order to concentrate, and to be able to keep going, she had to keep silent. The more that she allowed herself to moan about her pain, the harder it would be to resist succumbing to it. Swallowing as the persistent need to cry out again fell in her throat, Winry began to pull and push herself along again.

Her fingernails cracked on the surface of the metal as they dug into the minute edges imbedded in it. Her muscles were aching. She could hardly stand to move at the snail's pace with which she was inching along, and knew that if she were able, she would have kicked something out of frustration. She was careful to not open her mouth more than necessary; afraid that if she did, a cry would force it's way thorough. It was hard enough to focus on moving as it was- to get herself to keep going. She blinked back the tears that filled her eyes, grunting and squeezing her eyes shut as she pulled herself over a small ridge, the edge jostling the broken and bruised bones in her body.

Her harsh breathing became her only company.

Desperately, she tried to focus on other things- like how the battle had turned out, if those she had evacuated had gotten out okay, if Ed and Al had their bodies back yet...People and faces flashed before her eyes.

Roy Mustang...

Riza Hawkeye...

Hohenheim...

Ed...

Al...

Winry spat out the flashlight that she had been holding in her teeth, licking her chapped lips. She immediately choked upon tasting the dried blood on them, spitting the rusty taste out of her mouth. Wheezing, her ribs and muscles and everywhere _throbbing_- she pressed her face to the cold metal of the floor, the sheer temperature of it driving away her pain for the space of one millisecond.

"Come on," She muttered to herself- voice low and harsh, somehow grating in the dark and stillness. Putting the flashlight back in her mouth, Winry rearranged herself, fingers stretching out and gripping at edges in the metal, ankle rising off of the ground, bruised knee pushing against the ground.

After that, time was lost to her.

She didn't know exactly when her knee started bleeding from being scraped along the cold metal- it just _was_. She didn't notice when the makeshift bandage she had made for her arm became completely soaked, the rivulets of blood dripping down her arm and leaving a trail along the metal surface. She didn't know when her body started to loose its pain and go numb- from blood loss, exertion, and other things.

Winry didn't know exactly when her vision began to be blurry at the edges, she simply knew that her head wanted to fall on the ground and never rise, and that her eyes couldn't seem to focus, but she had to keep going, because there were people up there _waiting_ for her, and she'd be damned if she let them down...

...If she didn't see Ed again...or see Al with his body back...

She didn't know when she found herself staring at the blurring, shaking, metal bars of a ladder, she only knew that now she had to figure out how the hell to get up there.

Through her hazed mind and consciousness, she felt as though she was watching herself reach up and grip the first bar of the ladder with her uninjured hand. Pulling, and pushing off of the ground with her knee, Winry found herself balanced on one knee, the other leg pushed out haphazardly beside her, one arm hanging limply at her side. The pain brought her to her senses, and she reached up for the next bar, closing her eyes and bending, tensing like the coil of a spring before using her knee to jump into the air, pulling herself so that she was half-kneeling on the second bar.

Against her will, a strangled half-cry escaped her throat.

Swallowing, she gripped the next bar, repeating the process. The ladder was so frickin' long, and her vision was really starting to swim, the dizziness nearly consuming her. When she reached the top, she wrapped her arm around the side bar of the ladder, reaching up with the same arm to push up the manhole cover.

Raindrops fell on her face.

Blinking against the rain and dizziness, Winry pushed aside the manhole cover as much as she could, sticking her head through the hole. Her fingers grasped at the ground as she half pushed, half jumped the rest of the way.

For a moment she simply lay there, in the mud and rubble, breathing, her legs dangling into the hole she had just clambered out of. Pulling herself forward, she tried to focus her eyes on some sign of life- someone to help her. The flashlight fell out of her mouth.

"_Help..."_ She rasped. _"Someone...anyone...help me...please..."_

A sound tore through the air then- a high keening sound, like a great wounded animal sounded through the air. It took a moment for Winry's muddled mind to realize that it was someone screaming- screaming and crying and shouting as though undergoing the most brutal torture.

And, though she would have thought that she was going through enough pain, her heart hurt at the sound. Somehow, it seemed familiar, and that made the pain of it all the more crushing.

The sound started to grow distant, then muffled, until it gradually faded.

Winry's eyes focused on where it had been coming from. There were many flashing lights, the small but distinct shapes of people, and a huge skeleton...

Her fumbling white fingers found the flashlight, and she started clicking it on and off as rapidly as she could. Her head lay against the ground, and her eyes started to close. Her finger still moved the switch on the light, though slower, more sluggishly each time.

"_Please..."_ Winry whispered.

There was the sound of tires squealing against the road, dodging the debris in its way. Hurried footsteps ran toward her, and Winry felt hands grab her shoulders.

"Winry! Winry! God, you're alive!" The hands picked her up, shouting order to the other people that had come, and through her slitted eyes, Winry saw a blue-uniformed woman with blonde hair...

"_Riza..."_ She mumbled. Winry felt herself being laid upon the seat of a car.

"Hold on Winry, don't worry, we'll get you to a hospital.

Winry felt the car start and found herself smiling. _"Thanks..."_ She frowned for a moment, fumbling with her thoughts. _"Are...Ed and Al...?"_

"They're fine. Alphonse has his body back..."

Winry felt another smile light her face; tears starting to slip down her cheeks. _"T'has good..."_ she slurred. Her eyebrows furrowed a little. _"Riza...did the kids...all the... people...get out okay? The ones we...evacuated...?"_

"I don't know. Hush now, don't talk. We'll get Doctor Marcoh to take a look at you. Just sleep now, Winry. Everything is alright..."

_Yeah,_ Winry wanted to say. _It will be..._

She slipped into unconsciousness.

((()))

_He gritted his teeth._

_It was hard to stomach- the presence of that murderer beside him. Ed narrowed his eyes, spine sword-straight, as though expecting an attack from behind, where Scar was._

"_FullMetal," Scar's low voice issued from behind._

_Ed froze, scowling. "What?" He snarled, without turning around. Beside him, Al looked back at Scar curiously._

"_There is a matter I wish to discuss with you, FullMetal."_

_His scowl deepening, Ed gestured at Al to go on leave him behind with Scar. Al made a strange noise that Ed supposed was the armor's equivalent to a heavy snort. "Not likely, brother." Al crossed his heavy arms._

"_Fine," Ed rolled his eyes. "What do you want, Scar? In case you haven't noticed, we __**really **__don't have time for a lengthy discussion..."_

_For a moment, Scar said nothing. Then- "I'm not going to harm her."_

_Ed blinked, sharing a startled look with Al. "What?"_

"_Winry Rockbell, those doctors' daughter. I'm not going to harm her."_

_Ed whirled around, anger flashing in his eyes. "Oh yeah? Why the hell would you do that? And why should I believe you?!"_

_Scar's expression remained calm- his eyebrows rising a little over his red eyes. "Because she doesn't deserve to die," He said simply. Without another word he strode past them, stopping so that his back was turned to them. He clenched his fist- the arm that had the tattoos on it- and sighed heavily. _

_When he spoke, his voice was quiet._

"_She doesn't deserve to die," he repeated. "And she...helped me. Though I don't deserve her help...she helped me anyway." He bent his head. "I've killed...many people, for what I have lost. I never thought of the others that would suffer from it, suffer as I have suffered. That girl knows what it is to be on the receiving end of that suffering...and for that, I honor her." He lifted his head, toward the sky, as though beseeching his god. _

"_It's all I can give her," He said. "In...exchange. It will never be enough, but it is all I can give...Her life-" He turned and eyed them with a hard expression. "And both of yours." His expression became calm again, and he walked away._

"_After all, though I am an alchemist, that is as close to equivalent exchange as I am going to get..."_

Edward Elric woke with a start.

He blinked fuzzily, staring at his surroundings. He was lying on a hospital bed, with assorted bandages dotting his visage. He blinked. The hospital room had cracked walls, and crooked pictures on the walls. Not exactly what he had become accustomed to. Yawning, he sat up, eyes flicking about for his brother's usual waiting form, perhaps sitting by his bed...

What Ed found, was another hospital bed, his flesh-and-blood brother lying in it, fast asleep. For a moment, Ed didn't know whether to laugh or cy. His first instinct told him that it was a dream- but after a moment the memories returned to him, and he lept out of bed- momentarily distracted by a weird thin tube-thing taped to his arm. Peeling it off, He bounced to his brother's bedside.

Ed had never thought that he could be so happy, watching his brother sleep in a hospital bed. Odd it might be, Ed just couldn't wipe the smile off his face.

Wincing a little as he felt his once-automail-leg protest, he grabbed a nearby chair, plopping down into it, staring at his brother.

Ed let out a breath that he hadn't known he'd been holding. It was over. He- they- had done it. Ed lifted his automail hand, staring at it. He didn't regret his decision. Sure, automail made things harder and hurt sometimes, but in many ways, this automail arm had saved not only his life, but others as well. With his automail he was the FullMetal Alchemist, 'Hero of the people.' He didn't like being tied to the military as a lapdog- but he liked being able to protect others. And his automail arm was more useful to him than a normal arm.

Besides, his automail was the only sure thing in his life that always led him back to Winry. Something that would always give him a chance to see her...

Ed shook his head, blushing a little.

Al stirred. His eyes flickered, then opened, blinking. He turned his head toward his brother. "Ed..." He rasped.

Ed grinned, his own voice cracking as he answered. "Hey, Al." He lightly pressed a hand on Al's shoulder. "How are ya feeling?"

Al frowned. "Tired, um, physically and mentally. I think. And like...I don't know how to use my own body..." He gave a small laugh. "It's so weird...using expressions..."

Ed laughed a little too. "Do you remember what happened?" Al nodded. A bit of hair fell over his face and he glared at it, cross-eyed. Blowing it out of his face, he said- "I don't know how you can sand long hair, brother."

Ed's grin widened. "It takes skill. We'll get you a haircut soon, Al."

Al nodded. "So, where is everyone?"

Shrugging, Ed said: "Around. Mustang's establishing himself as our _great_ leader-" Ed rolled his eyes – "And everyone else is basically cleaning up. Teacher was here a little while ago, but she left to go help. Maria Ross showed up though! That's all getting straightened out too..." Ed shrugged again. "That's all I know. I've been out for a while."

Al nodded, biting his lip. "Ed..." He began hesitantly. "How many...casualties...have there been?"

Ed's expression darkened. "I don't know," He said honestly. He sighed. "But...probably a lot. Many houses got smashed..." He looked away for a moment.

"At least the homunculi won't be able to hurt anyone any more." Al's voice faked cheerfulness.

"Yeah," Ed said, turning back to his brother. "That is good." His jaw clenched.

Al frowned at his expression...there was something about it...an almost murderous glint in Ed's eyes...a pure unequivocal, hatred. "Ed...?" Al questioned. "What's wrong...?"

Ed blinked, and the strange hatred all but vanished. "Nothing. Anything else you want to know?"

Al pursed his lips, knowing that his brother was lying, but deciding not to pursue the subject. "What about Ling- er, Greed? And Ran Fan? And-" Al gasped suddenly. "Mei! Oh, she must think I'm dead! We have to tell her-"

"Relax Al." Ed said, waving off his concerns. "She knows. Didn't want' to leave her 'Al-sama's' bedside. But they needed her help..."

Al blushed heavily. "Oh. That's good."

Ed eyed him critically. "What? You don't..._like_...her, do you?"

Al spluttered. "Wha-no, no!" His face turned even redder. "I-I-"

"Oh man," Ed ran a hand over his forehead. "Of all the girls to like, you had to pick the demented bean girl..."

"She's not as demented as _you_ brother!" Al cried indignantly.

Ed rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Just promise me that you won't invite me to the wedding..."

"Brother!"

Ed snickered. "Sorry Al. I'm done, promise."

"Good." Al's heavy blush started to fade as he looked around the room again. Ed frowned, a heavy crease forming between his eyes as he realized what Al was looking for. "He hasn't shown up, Al." Ed muttered.

Al looked a little guilty, giving a small "oh." Suddenly his eyes widened. "Ed," He said slowly. Ed raised his eyebrows. "What?"

Al's expression was horror-struck. "Have you called Winry and Granny yet?"

Ed blinked. "Aw, shit. Crap. I need to do that." He stood up, wobbling a little on his newly returned leg. The door opened.

Hohenheim entered, his face very grave.

Ed froze, eyes narrowing. "What do you want?" he snarled, while Al cried: "Father!"

Hohenheim smiled briefly at Al, though it was small and devoid of any happiness. "Edward," He said. "I need to speak with you."

Ed glared. "Why?"

Hohenheim's face was expressionless. "There is something you need to see."

Ed's eyebrows pulled together, exchanging a look with Al, who nodded.

Ed followed his father out the door.

((()))

The car was silent.

Ed drummed his fingers on the armrest, staring stonily out the window, a heavy scowl on his face. Hohenheim stared out at the road, saying nothing.

Finally, he spoke.

"About two days ago I went to Resembool. To ask the Rockbells once more to leave this country." His voice was low. Ed was staring at his father's face in the rearview mirror. "While I was there...I...began to speak of things to which I had no right. Things that I did not really know about. One of them, was you." Hohenheim met his son's eyes in the mirror briefly. A faint, sad smile flickered across his face.

"Miss Winry Rockbell," He said, "Was more than happy to correct me. She shouted at me, telling me that I had no right to speak as I did, that I didn't know you." Ed stared at the mirror, confused. Hohenheim continued. "She told me that you were brave, kind, and wanted to help people. She told me that you were an amazing brother. She said that at times you were hard to understand, but you were still wonderful. 'Edward Elric is the most wonderful person that I know,' she said."

Ed's face only held shock, a faint blush spreading across it.

Hohenheim continued. "I said: 'You're in love with him, aren't you?'." Hohenheim met Ed's suddenly wide eyes in the mirror, and held them. "Her shoulders drew straight, and she looked me in the eye. 'Yes,' she said. 'Edward Elric is the person that I love'."

A half-strangled gasp escaped Ed's mouth, eyes still wide. Hohenheim finally turned his eyes away. "She felt that she could do nothing for you and Al. She wanted to help you, more than anything. And so, in the morning, she snuck on a train heading for Central."

Ed, who had been staring at the seat of the car in wide-eyed bewilderment, snapped his head up.

"I knew what she would try, so I found her. The train was on its way, and I knew that I could not change her mind, or leave her without putting her in danger. So I offered my protection. We came here, to evacuate as many as we could. But before we began, I made her promise that as soon as I told her, she would get out of this city, and on a train."

"I don't know how many we evacuated. But the sun was rising, and I told her to get out of here. She began to do as I said. She walked away, toward the station. On her way, she heard the start of our battle, and the tremors resulted from it. Two children were trapped in some falling debris, and she doubled back to help them."

Hohenheim stopped the car, and his eyes were unreadable again. They had stopped in the ruins of a building, and Ed could see through the window a gargantuan skeleton that he guessed had belonged to Gluttony. Hohenheim stepped out of the car, Ed following.

Ed couldn't understand what his father wanted him to see, and why he was telling him these things. It didn't make sense. Nothing his father said was making sense.

Military officers were everywhere- including Riza Hawkeye, who looked- of all things- as though she had been crying. She met his gaze, and her eyes widened.

Ed focus found the skeleton, staring hard at a piece of black cloth draped over its teeth. The black jacket looked vaguely familiar, but in all the flashing lights, he couldn't quite place it. The rain made it even more difficult. Ed squinted at it, an odd sense of dread filling him. He couldn't understand why.

"Edward," Hohenheim said.

Snippets of memory passed over Ed's eyes.

_Winry, moving, taking a jacket off of her shoulders to work on his automail._

"...Gluttony chased after her."

_Winry, grinning, flipping the collar of her jacket up against the wind._

"The children she saved told us...she stole a car, letting it chase her away from them."

_Winry, smeared in dirt and blood, tears cascading down her face as she learned the truth about her parents, the color of the gun contrasting with the black jacket she wore. _

"...Ed, she's gone."

_Winry, as Envy had made her, bleeding, dying, calling out for him, chocking, warm blood seeping from her, life leaving her eyes._

It couldn't be...she wasn't'...

"She's dead Edward."

Ed whirled around, a wild, desperate anger in his eyes. "DON'T!" He screamed, flying at Hohenheim, fists striking him all over. Hohenheim didn't move, letting his son hit him. Officers came forward, trying to restrain him, but Ed pushed them away.

"She's dead Edward!" Hohenheim said, and his voice was soft. "Accept it."

Ed's eyes met his, and saw the truth and sadness there. Ed stumbled back, falling to his knees. "No..." He whispered. Trembling hands gripped the sides of his head, eyes squeezing shut. "NO!" His fists pounded on the ground. "Damnit!" He hissed, voice breaking. "Why, dammit? Winry! I told you to stay away!"

And he started screaming. His head bowed to the earth, hands clawing at his head, ripping, bleeding, hot tears mixing with rain as they poured down his face. His cry echoed around them, stopping all who were near. It cracked and rattled, gasping and choking as his fists slammed the ground. Hands grabbed at him, pulling him away, and though he fought them, they shoved him in a car, leaving him thrashing, trying to break the windows. He tilted his head up, the cry dying away.

Ed was shaking, curled up in a ball, small, animal-like whimpers escaping him.

"Ed," Hohenheim said. "Ed, pull yourself together. Think of Alphonse!" Hohenheim's voice became hard. "_There are still things to live for!_"

Ed raised his head, and there was no life in his eyes. "She's- Winry- She's-"

Hohenheim sighed. "I know."

"I- I- can't- it-" Ed's hands clutched at his chest.

"I know, my son. It...hurts, doesn't it?"

Ed's eyes were wide, shining in the remnants of their tears, almost childlike. But a deep pain was etched in them- a brokenness- that no child could posses.

"Can't-gone-dead-don't wanna-live-" His words were fragmented.

"I know." Hohenheim sighed deeply, his own sorrow plain on his face. "But you have to."

Hohenheim knew that soon, his son would be filled with hatred. But now, while broken with his pain, Ed didn't seem to realize whom he was talking to.

Or perhaps, it was as Winry had told him- _"He doesn't hate you, not really."_

Hohenheim shook that off. Part of him wanted to seize this chance, wanted to be a father to Ed. But he couldn't- not now. All he could be was someone that understood the pain of loosing the one you loved.

Hohenheim hoped that in the end, it would be enough.

((()))

Ed stumbled into Al's room, feeling as though he was walking in a nightmare. He leaned against the wall, face pale and body shaking.

"Brother?!" Al cried. "What happened?"

Ed's hands came up to his face, and he shook his head. "W-Winry, Al, Winry-"

"Winry? What about her, Ed?"

Ed opened his eyes, and Al saw that his face looked as if he had lived a thousand years of misery in the short time he had been gone. "C-came here. Winry- she- she's-" Ed took a deep, shuddering breath. "She's dea...dead."

"Wh-what?"

Ed stood up from the wall, turning and punching it with all of his force. "She's dead dammit!" He shouted. "She's dead!" He struck the wall again, this time sagging against it, a few muted sobs escaping him, forehead pressed against the wall.

"N...no...Winry's not- she- she can't be..." Al moaned, tears filling his eyes and falling down his face faster than the pattering rain outside. He tried to draw his hands up to his face, the IV and other hospital machines holding him back. He leaned forward, pressing his face into his palms. One of the first things he was supposed to do when he got his body back was eat some of Winry's apple pie. And now, only hours after being returned to his body, he was sobbing over her death.

"This wasn't supposed to happen!" Ed moaned. "Damn it all, why didn't she listen to me?!" His fist struck the wall again. The sound it made was that of metal, and Ed stopped, looking up at it for a moment. His face twisted as he stared at it, and for a moment, he lightly touched it with his other hand. Then it slipped down the surface of the wall, and he fell, landing so that he was sitting on the floor. His face was devoid of any emotion- his eyes dead to them.

"H-how did this happen?" Al sobbed, looking at his brother's hunched back.

Ed spine straightened, and a strange light lit in his eyes. Al stared, tears leaking from the corners of his own eyes. That was the same look Ed had had when Al had mentioned the homunculi...a murderous, hateful, rage.

Ed stood. Both of his fists were clenched. "Our father..." he hissed through gritted teeth.

And before Al could do more than start in surprise and disbelief, Ed walked through the door, slamming it behind him.

((()))

Riza Hawkeye sighed with relief, pressing two hands to her forehead.

"So she's alright?" She asked, looking at the face of the malformed doctor.

Doctor Marcoh smiled a little. "Mostly. I can't guarantee that she will live, but for now, she is as 'alright' as she is going to get. The rest...well, that is up to her."

Riza gave a tight smile. "She will be fine, then. She's strong."

"I gathered as much. If she traveled as far as it seems she did, in her condition, she couldn't be anything but."

A military officer ran down the hall. "Doctor Marcoh, we found another one!"

The doctor nodded. "Right." With a respectful nod toward Riza, he ran after the officer.

"Hm." Riza smiled. A sudden thought came to her and her eyes flew wide. "Edward..." she whispered. "He thinks...she's dead..." She turned on her heel and sprinted toward the nearest hospital employee. She grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, demanding- "What room are the FullMetal Alchemist and his brother staying in?"

"That- that's privileged information-" The man stuttered.

Riza drew her gun, pointing it at his neck. "Tell me. Now!"

"S-second floor, room 102-" the hospital aide gasped, dropping to his knees as soon as she let him go.

Riza sprinted up the stairs, firing a few rounds at people's feet to scatter them. A loud crash broke through her gunshots, and she heard shouting...

Rounding the corner, Riza saw Edward, his arm pushing his father against the wall, automail arm transmuted into a blade, which was pointing directly at his father's neck.

"How could you?!" Ed screamed. "If it weren't for you, Winry'd be-"

Hohenheim's face was calm. Sadness glinted in his eyes. "There is little that I regret more than my bringing her here," He whispered. "Death is more than I deserve."

Without hesitating, Riza fired at Ed's automail arm. The bullet bounced off, clattering to the floor. Ed paused, glaring hard at Riza. "What?!" he snarled.

Riza lowered her gun, keeping her eyes locked with his. "Ed, she's not dead. We found her." Ed's expression didn't change.

"DON'T LIE!" He screamed. Hohenheim stared at her in shock.

Riza shook her head. "I'm not lying, Edward. We found her. I'm here to take you to her."

Ed's expression seemed to draw in on itself. As though he was trying to keep himself from hoping. But his eyes lightened. "But-but..."

"I know. Seems like she made quite a journey to live, but she did it. Doctor Marcoh has seen to her. She's in bad shape, but she's alive."

Ed slowly lowered his arm, face disbelieving, eyes wide. "What...? But...she..."

Riza strode forward, and seized him by the shoulders. "Ed, listen to me." Ed looked up at her, eyes wide and almost childlike. "Ed, _Winry is alive_. You're keeping her waiting."

A strangled half-gasp escaped him, and he tore down the hall, coat flapping behind him.

"Room 52, Edward!" Riza shouted after him. Her thanks was the sound of his footsteps fading as he ran down the stairs.

She turned to Hohenheim, who was staring after his son in quiet disbelief. "She...really is...alive?" He questioned.

Riza's eyebrows pulled together, but she nodded.

"Hn." Hohenheim tilted his face toward the ceiling, closing his eyes. "That's just as well," He whispered. "My son won't have to live with the grief that I did..." Tears leaked down his face.

After eyeing him quietly for a moment, Riza made her way to the room to tell Alphonse.

((()))

The door flew open.

Ed stopped in the light from the door, staring in the darkened room, at a faint outline on a hospital bed. His hand gripped the doorframe for a moment, before he walked in.

And there she was.

She was covered in bandages- on her head and arms. One leg was propped up and hanging suspended, wrapped in a heavy cast. Small, minute bandages covered a few places on her face. A small smile twisted her lips, though her eyebrows were furrowed.

Her expression seemed to say- _"Jeez, what took you so long, Ed? I've been waiting..."_

Her hair flared out around her, the hospital staff obviously having seen to her being cleaned so that they could dress her wounds. More bandages peeked out from under her hospital gown, wrapped around her chest.

She was badly hurt, Ed could tell.

And yet, there was an odd _glow_ about her. Maybe it was the lighting, or the shine of her hair, the bandages reflecting some light, or maybe it was just Ed, but, there seemed to be a soft, delicate light around her- like a halo around her whole body. Maybe it was because she was alive.

_Alive._

Wonderfully, gloriously, beautifully, _alive_.

Ed stopped, over her bed, sinking into the chair beside her. Shakily, Ed reached for her unbandaged arm, his fingers curling around hers. He shook his head.

"Ah, Winry." He said, and his voice was gently scolding- gentle, but filled with a fear that hadn't yet been stated. "Why did you do this? You really could be...dead, now."

Sighing, he pressed the back of her hand to his forehead. "Don't' scare me like that again," He whispered. He leaned forward, and repeated words that she had said to him before: "Don't die, Winry. Please, don't you ever die, unless I'm dying with you..."

"...Ed...?"

Ed jerked up, staring at Winry, whose eyes were half-opened.

"Hey..." He whispered, gently setting her hand back on the sheets, still holding it lightly.

Winry smiled gently. "Hey, Ed." She frowned, looking around the room. "Where...am I?"

"Hospital." Ed said. "You're...in pretty bad shape." He winced a little.

Winry made a face. "Tell me something I don't know."

Ed stared at her for a moment, then looked away, releasing her hand. "Why, Winry? Why did you do this? Do you have any idea what-" He was interrupted as her uninjured hand touched his arm.

"Yes, I know. I could have died, right? But Ed, so could you or Al, at any time, while I was back home, waiting. Any of those times where you left me behind. I don't blame you. But...I was tired of waiting. I wanted to help you, any way that I could..."

"But that's stupid!" Ed exclaimed, angry. "You help us plenty! You risk your life enough, you don't need to-"

"Ed, it was my choice." Winry took a deep breath. "And I had to do what I could."

Ed exhaled heavily through his nostrils, crossing his arms.

"Ed, don't you understand? I helped all of those people...people, who could have otherwise died. Like Gracia and Elysia- I got them out of here, Ed! I-"

"-Put yourself in great danger." Ed scowled. "Don't you know what would've happened if you had died? What about Granny? And all the people in Rush Valley? What about Al? What about-" He paused, and took a deep breath. "What about me, huh?" He looked away with a slight blush.

Winry stared at him, crystalline eyes wide. "I guess...you know how I feel when you leave, then." She whispered. Ed closed his eyes. "I deserve that, I guess." He said.

"Hey," Winry reached out, grabbing his hand, her own cheeks reddening. "Everything's going to be alright now." She said, smiling.

Ed turned back to her, his eyes shining with happiness, the irritation fading away. "Yeah," He said. "You're right. It will be."

The door opened, and Alphonse rolled in, eyes wide and sitting on a wheelchair. "Winry!" He cried, rolling toward them.

"Al!" Winry gasped. "Oh, Al!" Her hand lifted to her mouth, tears of happiness filling her eyes. They stared at each other for a moment.

"Al," Winry choked. "Get over and give me a hug! Don't make me go over there!"

Laughing and crying, Al rolled toward her other side. Gently lifting her arm, Winry slung it around his shoulders, bringing him close to her. Her other hand grabbed at Ed. "Come here, you," She said, wrapping her other arm around his shoulders. Ed blushed as his head was brought close to hers.

Winry looked at him and smiled, tears of happiness still glittering in her eyes.

Ed smiled, pressing his face closer to her.

He had kept his promise.

((()))

And outside the door, four people watched them.

Hohenheim smiled, backing away from the door. "Let's wait," He said, to the other people clustered outside with him. "For the first time in a long time, they're all together now."

Riza smiled, and nodded.

Izumi scowled, but then grinned, muttering about the beating Al was going to get to whip his body into shape.

Roy Mustang shook his head, smiling, looking up at the ceiling. "Wish you could be here to see this Maes," He whispered. "You were right. But then again," Roy chuckled. "You always were, weren't you?"

Mei frowned a little, trying to peek through the window. But then she too, nodded.

After all, tomorrow would come.

* * *

How's that for a non-cliffhangerish ending?

The angst that I was worried about was Ed's...I hope I didn't over do it...

Reviews:

Mecha-Greiver: Heh heh heh! Why is it so much fun to torture characters and readers? Hopefully, with the new anime in production, it can live up to the manga...and I hope you liked Ed and Winry's meeting!

alchemichhelper101: Glad you like so much!

xxCelestialStarxx: Wow! Thank you! I'm honored! I hope this lives up to your expectations. :)

Arden Anam: Yep, thanks! As for that thing with Father...You may never know...MUWHAHAHA! Actually, I just always thought that it was pretty much impossible to kill him- you can't get close enough- but if Father were to be pulled into the gate, then Truth would be able to do anything. And, I figured it was a good 'exchange'. Glad you like!

blupheonix: Thank you! Hope this was soon enough!

silverstarlight: Glad to have caused such a reaction. A little rushed though I think it might have been, I do agree that the last chapter was action-packed. :)

YourFavoritePlushie: Aw, I'm a sucker for happy endings. Don't worry, though there will be drama, it will end happily...mostly...probably...I think...I really liked the royai scenes too. :D

Took-Baggins: Of course I like your stuff! And I think my favorite part was with Envy/Winry/Ed too. I hope this answered questions about why Ed chose the leg. Honestly, I just can't see him without the arm. :P

Anne Packrat: Thank you, glad you think so! And look at the top authors note for info about the rushing...

That's it!

Hmmm, remember the story idea I told you guys about, called Bride? (Last end authors note if you didn't see) Well, I thought of another idea. It's another one with Winy and the Promised day. Well, it's going to be called Leavrege, and in it, the homunculi bring their threats against their hostages to a whole new level...Can Ed and the others still win, with the ones they love dangled under their noses? It's still in process, so no clue when I'll actually START on it.

Oh, recently I put up two short FMA one-shots. One is a companion piece to my story Hesitation, and is EdWin, though told from Al's POV. It is called Sacrifice. The other is a Royai, called Until that Time.

Next chapter preview:

Reconstruction: The battle is over. The trio from Resembool has been reuinited. But more than Winry's injuries need to be healed in the aftermath of this battle. Just what was the cost? And what will new President Roy Mustang have to say about it? And can Ed focus on all that's going on, with the knowledge of how Winry feels about him plauging his mind?

Till next time!

AerithHeartilly


	7. Reconstruction

Woot! New chapter! I'm a little nervous about this one...but, I'm also pretty proud of it.

I just read chapter 88 of the manga,(SPOILERS AHEAD) and I think Winry's going to have to come back into it to fix Ran Fan's automail...And somehow, Pride's gonna get free, and Al will have to fight him, or try to stop him. So, yeah. Good chapter.

This story might end up being longer than I originally planned...Oh, and the quote at the beginning is from a really good book in a great series. I reccomend it! The first one is called 'Dragon Prince'. Long, but very good. Beware, angst, but not as bad as previous chapter. Mostly good stuff that makes you go "SQUEEE!"

DISCLAIMER: Own not FullMetal Alchemist do I! What hath you say, feindish rougue? Do not suist here! XD

And, as always, a big thanks to the wonderful please-knock, who betaed this for me.

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter Seven

Reconstruction

"_**I know we won, but why doesn't it feel like winning?"**_

"_**I know what you mean. I don't think that it ever does, not when people have to die in order for us to win."**_

_**Pol, then his father Rohan, from 'The Star Scroll' by Melanie Rawn**_

Winry sighed.

Being practically immobile was difficult. And frustrating. Pulling her lips back in a grimace, she shifted a little on her bed, wincing at the many pains that racked her body. At the other bed next to her, Al glanced over toward her worriedly, Mei chatting beside him. Winry moved her uninjured hand, waving off his concern. He briefly smiled at her, turning his attention back to Mei.

Winry couldn't help but grin, holding back a giggle as she watched the pair. Al very rarely took his eyes off of the pretty Xingan girl, a faint blush on his face. Mei too, rarely looked away from Alphonse, occasionally breaking their chatter to eye his malnutritioned body in worry, and call for a nurse. She seemed to see a light shine out of his every orifice- but she was not unwilling to take initiative and say 'no' to his protests against her help. In some ways, Al was just as stubborn as Ed, and it pleased Winry that Mei had the strength to disagree and look after Al. Both of the brothers needed to be taken care of, just in different ways.

Her smile slipped as she thought of Ed. Winry sighed again, gaze traveling to the door, as though by simply staring at it, Ed would appear there. While at first he had done his best to stay by both her and Al's sides, the military had called him for duties that he couldn't ignore. It had been three days since she had seen him, and her heart ached at the space. _Soon,_ she told herself. _Soon you'll be able to see him almost all the time. Be patient._

It was hard to be patient, though. There was so much she wanted to tell him, ask him, question him- and she simply wanted to be _with_ him. Always.

She had received a call from her grandmother, who, thankfully, had not been under the misconception that Winry was dead, like everybody else. Pinako had blistered her ears for being so reckless, and had made her swear to update her on her condition whenever she could.

Riza had come to visit once- and a very short visit at that. She had filled Winry in on what they were doing to rebuild the city- and mostly on what Ed was doing. She had also informed her that Maria Ross's case had been straightened out, and that Scar's case was currently being evaluated. Integral to Amestris' victory or not, he had murdered a lot of people. Winry really wasn't sure what she felt about that, and tried not to think about it.

She had met Ed and Al's former teacher. Winry found Izumi to be somewhat alarming at first- but that feeling hadn't lasted long. Soon, she found herself really warming up to the woman, liking her attitude and intelligence. She couldn't wait to heal up so that she could learn more about her, and the part she played in Ed and Al's lives.

Winry held back another sigh. 'Heal up'- something else she tried not to think about. It would take so much time... That reminded her of something.

"Al?" Winry looked apologetic at interrupting his conversation. Al smiled at her, and Mei smiled as well, waving off her apology.

"Yes, Winry?"

Winry fiddled with the blanket around her hips. "Al, I'm...sorry. I guess...it's gonna be a while before I can make you that apple pie..." She blinked rapidly, wiping with her uninjured hand at the tears that collected there.

"Oh, Winry..." Al said. He smiled gently, eyes shining. "Don't worry about that. I can't wait for it! I know you'll make it when you can. And I'll treasure the experience."

Winry gave a water smile. Sometimes Al could just be so sweet. "Still, I wish that there was something I could do for you, and Ed...I guess I'll have to wait a while." She inwardly cringed. _And here I thought I was done waiting. It really is all I can ever do..._

Al's smile grew, then froze, eyes widening as he was struck with an idea. He turned his attention to Mei, who looked at him questioningly. "I think its time for me to be wheeled around...practice walking..." His look was meaningful.

"All right Al-sama," Mei said, still eyeing him with a question in her eyes. She grabbed the wheelchair from against the wall, pushing it up against his bed.

"Al..." Winry said slowly. Al grinned toothily at her. "Sorry Winry, I have to go now! I'll see you later!" He sat up a little shakily, slipping himself down into the chair with Mei's help. Both smiled at her as they left the room.

Winry huffed. Al was keeping something from her! He would have to tell her soon, or else...She stared moodily out the window, trying not to pout. She listened for a moment as the sound of Al and Mei moving down the hall faded, leaving her in a slightly eerie silence. Faintly, if she strained her ears, Winry was sure she could hear the sound of gurneys rolling on the floor below, doctors rushing to respective patients...

Her heart seemed to sink into her toes. More than anything, she wanted to be out there, helping Al and all the people rebuild their lives. She wanted to talk to Ed, smile and laugh and love with him. She knew that perhaps she was being a bit impatient, but all of these feelings sat inside of her chest, threatening to explode. She wanted to cry and laugh, bury her face in a pillow and scream- anything to release it all. She wanted to not think about those whose lives she hadn't been able to save. She wanted to build automail- and especially fix Ed's arm.

Ed. She wanted to throw her arms around him tight, and never let go.

Winry bit her lip, a slow throbbing building in her. It was the pain of her heart, and the pain of her wounds, creating a horrible ache inside of her. She closed her eyes, trying to calm it down. Deliberately, she went over the new automail designs she had in her head, filling her mind and heart with the mental diagrams and effectively distracting her mind. Soon, she fell asleep.

A few minutes passed, and then the door opened. "Winry...?" The figure whispered.

Ed stepped into the room, finding his brother's bed empty and Winry fast asleep. Guessing that Al was out practicing walking with Mei, he crept quietly to Winry's bedside, staring down at her with a slight smile. His eyes drew to the many scars on her body and that smile quickly vanished. Events of that night surged in his mind.

"_...I went to Resembool..."_

"_She's dead Edward!"_

"_She drew her shoulders straight and said: Yes. Edward Elric is the person that I love."_

Ed sank into a chair, hand over his eyes. He couldn't even begin to wrap his head around the idea...it just wasn't possible. A heavy blush spread on his face, and Ed found himself sweating. It couldn't be...could it?

He shook his head, trying to dispel those particular thoughts. They didn't leave, poking at ever corner of his mind. "Aaarg..." He moaned quietly. He didn't know what to make of the idea that Winry might...but, no that wasn't possible...no matter how oddly happy that thought was.

No, it was more that just 'happy'. It was something all together..._more_. And though Ed wouldn't let himself think of it as a possibility...the mere _thought_... brought more pleasure than Ed thought he was capable of. And then the_ crushing_...disappointment...he felt, knowing that it just wasn't possible...

A soft murmur brought him out of his thoughts. Winry was mumbling something in her sleep, eyebrows furrowed a little.

"...please, stay..." She whispered.

Ed laughed a little. In the confines of his own mind, he admitted to himself how cute she could be. Cute, and beautiful.

"Ed..." Winry murmured, and Ed froze, eyes going wide. "Ed...please don't...go...again..." Her voice turned into a sigh, a slight smile on her lips.

Ed sank back in his chair- face heavily flushed, mouth open. It didn't really mean anything of course...but at the same time...

Unbidden, a tiny, wavering flame of hope flared in Ed's chest. He didn't really understand it. Why should her words make him hopeful...? His hands gripped the sides of the chair, until the arms threatened to snap. He stared down at her peaceful face- her golden hair fanning around her, lips parted slightly with her breathing, scars still dotting the surface of her skin...and knew that he couldn't lie and say that he wanted her to leave his side. The thought made the flame shrink, a cold chill seeming to engulf him.

Slowly, hesitantly, He pulled off his glove, reaching with his flesh hand to brush her cheek. She moved toward his touch, her smile growing. Ed drew his fingers back, heart thudding in his ears, feelings coursing through him that he couldn't even begin to name.

A smile spread on his face, and he stood, leaning over her. Lightly, so that the touch might as well have been a brush from eyelashes, he pressed his lips to her forehead.

"Ed..." Winry murmured, her smile curling the corners of her lips again.

Against his will, the flame of hope grew.

((()))

The door opened quietly, the muted sound still making her jump a little. Winry turned her head, seeing the towering form of Hohenheim standing in the doorway. He paused a little at her gaze. Then, he strode forward, until he was standing over her bed, staring down at her. Winry had to bend her head back a little to look at him. She smiled a little. "Hi," She said.

He stared down at her, saying nothing. His glasses glinted in the light, hiding his eyes. Then, he sighed, bending down on his knees. "I am...relieved...that you are alive," He said, voice very quiet. Winry's smile grew.

"Have Edward or Alphonse told you anything, about what happened that night?" He asked. "After the battle was over, and before they found you. Have they told you anything?"

Winry frowned, eyebrows creasing a little. "Al told me a few things..." She said. "Like, how he and Ed thought I was dead...he said...that Ed was really...upset." She looked up at him, as though looking for confirmation to these words.

Hohenheim nodded. "Upset is a slight understatement," He said. He paused, and then gave her a hard look. "I told him everything, you know. I told Ed all that happened, before informing him of your death."

Winry winced. "That must not have gone over well..." Then her eyes widened. "Everything?" She squeaked, a heavy blush on her cheeks. Hohenheim nodded. Winry's uninjured hand came up to cover her eyes, her blush deepening.

"He was shocked," Hohenheim said. "And he took the thought of your death very, very hard." Hohenheim paused. "He...screamed, and cried..." He paused again. Winry had frozen, her hand still over her face. Hohenheim leaned close to her, saying in a low voice:

"I think he loves you, too."

Winry's head snapped up, eyes wide. She tried to choke out a response, but nothing was coherent.

Hohenheim turned his face skyward, shaking his head. "I made a big mistake. All of my life it seems...that's what I've been doing. I left my family, came back too late, and hurt my children more than I thought possible- even from a monster like me." He chuckled blackly.

His words brought Winry enough out of her daze to huff and roll her eyes. _He's definitely Ed's father all right..._

Hohenheim fixed her suddenly with an intent gaze. "I can't fix my mistakes," He said. "But I can do something that _isn't_ a mistake." He moved closer, voice lowering. "I can heal you, Winry Rockbell."

Winry stiffened, stifling a gasp. A voice from her memory came to her: _...a living philosopher's stone._ With difficulty, she found her voice. "Why...?"

"Because it was not fair for you to be hurt this way. Because you wish to be with my son- both of my sons. And so that I can do this one thing for my children."

Winry bent her head a little, thinking. She bit her lip, frowning a little. She closed her eyes. The idea of human alchemy made her a little nervous...but hadn't she just been thinking about how much she wished she were healed? How much she wanted to hold Ed tight, and make Al an apple pie? She looked up at Hohenheim, mouth set. Before she could answer, he spoke again.

"But I must tell you something that I don't think you know. I am a 'living philosopher's stone', and that means that inside of me I have the souls of hundreds of people. That is how a philosopher's stone is made- by sacrificing human lives." He looked at her, his face expectant.

Winry stared at him for a moment. "No." She said finally. "I appreciate the offer, but, the idea of using human lives that way makes me feel sick..." Her hand folded in her lap. She felt horror wash through her that such a man had to exist with so many souls inside of him.

To her surprise, Hohenheim smiled. "My son said the same thing; albeit not as nicely. I'm glad you feel that way. I wish that I could still do something for you though."

Winry thought of all he had said about wanting to help his sons, and sighed. "Just be here for Ed and Al." She said simply, looking out at the window. "On some level, I think both of them understand what you did. But in order to make things better, you have to stay. Even if they try to push you away, stay anyway. Always be waiting on the wings. Just...be there. Be _here_." She turned and smiled at him, tilting her head a little to one side.

Hohenheim stared at her for a moment; his face akin to astonishment. Then he nodded, his lips pressed together. "I won't leave," He vowed.

"Good." Winry shot back.

The door opened, and Al was pushed in, surprise mirroring on both his and Mei's face. "Father!" Al cried in delight, a wide smile spitting his face. Mei looked at Hohenheim curiously. "That is your father, Al-sama?" She questioned, looking over the tall man at Winry's bedside.

Al nodded. "Yes, that's my father, Hohenheim."

Mei pushed him forward a little more, then stopped, stepping out from behind the wheelchair to make a low bow toward Hohenheim. "I am honored to meet you, Hohenheim-san." The panda on her shoulder seemed to take in Hohenheim's powerful looking shoulders with satisfaction, for he too, bowed.

Hohenheim looked slightly bewildered at the small panda on the girl's shoulder. He managed a smile. "I have heard about you, Mei Chan. I'm honored to meet you as well."

Mei's head came up from her bow, and she smiled, dark eyes shining. A silent communication seemed to pass between them, for Hohenheim came forward, wheeling his son to his hospital bed. Mei approached Winry, her hands folded together.

"Winry-san," She said. "During the time that we traveled together, you most likely heard that I am very proficient with human alchemy- alchemy that heals the human body. It is what the alchemy in Xing is mostly used for." Mei grinned suddenly, coming closer. "Al-sama has requested that I use my abilities to heal as much of your injuries as I can. You are a kind person, Winry-san, and I really want to be your friend. I want to heal you."

Winry stared at her, feeling an odd sense of déjà vu. Didn't she just have this conversation...? But Mei was not a living philosopher's stone...

Winry gave a crinkly-eyed smile. "We _are_ friends, Mei. And, I would never be able to thank you enough if you healed me...Doctor Marcoh has his hands full with other patients that really need his attention...but I...I want to make apple pie for Al, like I promised. It's a bit selfish, but..." Winry trailed off, a little embarrassed. Mei placed a hand lightly on her arm, shaking her head.

"Not at all, Winry-san," She said solemnly.

"No, Winry," Al said from his bed. "You're not being selfish. And even if you were, it's okay to be selfish sometimes." He smiled at her. "I feel selfish now, wanting that pie so badly..." He winked at her. Winry giggled, wincing as it hurt her ribs.

Mei gave a wide smile. "Wait just a moment then. I need to get the circles ready..."

With that, she busied herself with drawing transmutation circles around the bed in what seemed to be- at least to Winry- random places. Hohenheim watched for a moment, then departed, telling Al that he would see him later. Al leaned forward a little on his bed, watching. Winry was interested too- but unlike Al, she knew little about alchemy. A sudden thought struck her, and she bit her lip, a little hesitant to ask.

"Mei..." She ventured. Mei looked up briefly to acknowledge her. "Yes, Winry-san?"

Winry sucked in a deep breath. "I know that you and Ling are in a contest for your clans...for the throne of your country. Has that been decided...?"

Mei stopped working. Her hands dropped a little. "Ling Yao is now immortal," she whispered. "The contest has been won."

"I thought Greed didn't really exist in him anymore?"

Mei went back to the circles, a little crease between her eyebrows. "The homunculus is still there. The only reason is because Ling was once human. Your former president Furher Bradley used to be human too, and if not for Scar, he would have survived as well. The human 'shell' provided them with a shield against what killed the other homunculi when their 'Father' was consumed by the gate." Mei paused. "As far as I know, Greed still exists within Ling Yao. That entity is weak, however. At this moment he merely lengthens Ling's life. Most likely, he could be killed if he were attacked- but until then, he will live forever. If Greed gets stronger within him, he may once again become the half-homunculus that he was before."

Winry furrowed her eyebrows. "Mei...I hope this doesn't offend you, but..." she sighed. "I think Ling will make a good emperor. He isn't evil, unkind, or dishonorable."

Mei's lips tightened a little. Then she sighed, relaxing. "I know that he is not evil, nor is he without honor. And he won the rights for being emperor- he found his path to immortality. He risked everything for it, while I did not. In that sense, he is fit to be emperor."

"He won, Mei, but in a sense he also lost." Al's voice was quiet. Mei looked at him in question. Winry and Al shared a grim look.

"Immortality is not something you really want, Mei." Winry whispered.

Mei's eyebrows drew together. "What do you mean? You don't know about immortality..." Her words trailed off.

"No, Mei, I don't." Winry paused. "But I know someone that for all intents and purposes _is_ immortal. And I know...that it is a horrible way to live."

"Who do you know that is immortal, Winry-san?"

Winry didn't answer, looking over at Al, whose hands were folded in his lap. He stared at the interlocked fingers for a moment. "My father," He said, voice very quiet. "Is a living philosopher's stone. He is hundreds of years old. He has watched every single person he has ever loved die. He left my brother and I when we were young, so that he wouldn't have to live without his family. In the time that he was gone, my mother died. He has found no solution, and someday, my brother and I will die too. Equivalent exchange- he has no fear of death, while everyone around him dies." He looked up at her, his gold eyes burning. "_That_ is the price of immortality, Mei. Living with the knowledge that everyone you know will die before you. Ling will make a good emperor- but I feel sorry for him. He gained one thing, but in the end he will loose everything else."

Mei's eyes were wide as she stared at him, lowering them to look at the floor. Apparently that particular thought had never come to her before. She bit her lip, glancing at both Al and Winry, and Winry knew that Mei was imagining living longer than they did- watching them die, when Mei would not. Al's speech- while she knew that he would say those things and she agreed with them- reminded Winry of something to do with Ling. What of him and Ran Fan? She'd had a feeling that there was something between them...what would they do now, when Ran Fan would eventually get old and die?

Mei licked her lips, and nodded. She didn't say anything for a moment, and Winry knew that she would probably spend a great deal of time thinking on the subject. Finally, Mei said: "The transmutation circles are ready, Winry-san."

Winry nodded, closing her eyes, as all around her a blue light began to glow.

((()))

The crowd moved restlessly.

They stood before a stone platform, on which many military officials sat in high-backed chairs. Olivier Armstrong was prominent among them; along with General Grumman, Major Miles, Buccaneer, Hohenheim (who sat at the far end, looking in the distance), Izumi and Sig Curtis (the latter of which was seeming to be trying very hard to not strangle some of the military people), Falman (who was looking quite relieved to not have to wear a heavy winter coat), Sheska, Fuery, Breda, and Havoc, sitting in his wheelchair, cigarette poised in his mouth. There was also Maria Ross, Alex Armstrong, Ed (Who looked as if he would rather have been anywhere else, one eye trained on his still-frail brother that sat next to him) Darius, Hienckel, Jelso, Zanpano, and Riza Hawkeye, who was smiling encouragingly at Roy Mustang as he stood from his chair and faced the crowd.

He walked slowly up to the podium, arms rising to grip the sides of it. Before him, the people shifted, a few unidentifiable words stringing together and carrying over, like whispers. His eyes were dark as he stared at them, eyeing them as though memorizing every face.

"Ishvalans," He said, raising one arm and gesturing toward the brown-skinned people sitting apart from the others. Mustang continued; "Xingans," he said, gesturing toward the smaller group that looked at the surrounding people with no fear or hatred. "Amestrins," He said, spreading both arms wide as though to encompass them all. He lowered his arms slowly.

"We're all here today for a few different reasons," His eyes continued to stare as if he saw every person before him, and was looking them in the eye. "A lot of you are here because you want to know what has happened these past few days- why the former Furher Bradley is dead, along with his son, and why over half of Central has fallen to rubble. Others are here to see me here- to see me make my first mistake, perhaps. Or so that you can see what kind of leader I really am. And others still are here to seek a fight, to render me powerless, and to somehow prove that myself and those that have aided me here are to be feared and hated above all else. And yet still others are here in a hope that from now on, better days will come." Roy paused for a moment, then continued.

"But there is a much larger reason as to why you are all here- why even I, am here. I am here to accept the position of president, to tell you all what I see fit- but another reason compels me here- and it is a reason that each of us shares." He waited for a moment, allowing the crowd below him to digest that. They shifted, some throwing doubtful looks, others openly shouting out accusations and denials. Roy waited until they had quieted before going on.

"We are here to honor those that we care about- both dead, and alive. But first, a bit of an explanation, which is far overdue." A stillness settled over the crowd; and even the bustling of nature seemed to be at a standstill.

"Our leader was not human. What he was, I could not hope to explain- except that he called himself a 'homunculus'. And he wanted to destroy this country, and all the countries of this world- and especially the humans within it. He was commanded by another man, who created him and his six 'siblings', for lack of a better term. They were the 'Seven Deadly Sins', and together, they secretly ran this country's military. Selim Bradley was one of them. How they existed, I can't really explain. But they sought to tear this country apart with warfare, and terrible alchemical power." Roy paused again.

"And so, a week ago, a great battle took place, to stop these creatures. We were the victors, but as many of you know there was a terrible cost. Not just a week ago, but in all the unnecessary battles under Furher Bradley's reign. Today, we honor the dead, and the survivors." He paused again, clearing his throat. Stepping back and holding out his hand, he said: "We would like to honor as many as we can today. So when your name is called, please step forward."

He waited for a moment, then spoke.

"From the military," He said. "We honor Major General Olivier Armstrong, and the soldiers under her at Briggs. Among them is Major Miles and Buccaneer." The three stood up- Oliver Armstrong tall and domineering, who looked to be fighting a twitch in her jaw at having to salute Mustang. Roy's face was composed, only his eyes snapping with humor. "The Major General has played a very important part in this fight. She was able to pass us information on Furher Bradley's doings, arming us with the necessary information so that we could defeat him. Her subordinates, Major Miles and Mr. Buccaneer, followed her orders and helped pass along the information. I honor you all." He raised his hand in a salute to them. Olivier sat down, crossing her arms over her chest. Miles and Buccaneer made to follow.

"Major Miles," Roy said. They stared at each other for a moment. "Thank you," Roy finally said. "Both of you. I- and this country- owes you our lives."

Buccaneer gave a curt nod and sat down. Major Miles stared at Mustang for a moment, then slid off his glasses- revealing his red eyes to everyone. A shocked gasp ran through the crowd. Miles saluted. "I thank you, President Mustang," He said, voice low. With that, he returned to his seat. Roy gave a slight nod before speaking again.

"General Grumman," He called, and the old man stepped forward. They saluted each other. "You exhibited courage and a great deal of strategic planning in our battle against the Furher and the homunculi. You gave us information. For your deeds, I- and all of Amestris- honors you." He lowered his hand. General Grumman grasped it in his own, shaking it. In a whisper, he said- "Ah, if I were younger, I'd be standing where you are, sonny boy..." He winked, and Roy smirked a little as the old man returned to his seat.

He opened his mouth, calling out the next name.

((()))

Ed propped his chin on his auto mail hand, fighting a yawn. Sleep seemed like a foreign word. His stomach growled, and he winced. Apparently, hunger was the same. Al shot him a glance- one both amused and annoyed. Under the pretense of wiping hair from his forehead, Ed stuck his tongue out at Al, his arm covering the gesture. Al gave a very slight rolling of his eyes. A grin took over his face again, and Ed raised an eyebrow. Al was in an especially good mood...and what the hell was with those strange, sly looks Al kept shooting him!

_Oh, wait; he didn't just call my name, did he?_ Ed snapped up, and then let out a breath of relief when he saw Sheska walk toward Mustang, trembling all over. _She looks like she's gonna faint..._

"Miss Sheska, the military honors you for your assistance with information and secrecy." He saluted her. She saluted him back, her face whiter than the clouds rolling overhead. She stumbled to her seat, leaning her head back, sagging with relief.

Ed counted in his head how many were left to go. He was pretty sure that Lieutenant Hawkeye had been called...all of Mustang's subordinates were being finished up...and then, of course, Ed himself would be called, along with Al, and then the civilians would be brought to attention...he sighed. It was going to be a while yet. Ed attention was drawn to Roy Mustang, who had paused in his stride of names.

"Before I go on, I would like to take a moment to honor someone else. Someone that isn't here today." He took a deep breath. "Some of you may remember the papers some months ago- accusing Maria Ross of murder. Now you know those accusations are false, but...as for who she was accused of killing, his death is very real." One of Roy's hands clenched, such a small movement that Ed was certain the crowd couldn't see it.

"Maes Hughes figured it all out. Everything- the truth about the president, and all the secrets surrounding the military. Including the reason for the war in Ishval, and the extermination which then took place on its people. He has already been given a funeral, and an increased rank in his death. But I want to say that this country, and all of us, owes him our lives. And I-" he paused, and if Ed didn't know any better, he would've thought that Mustang was loosing control of himself. "I, will remember and honor him, always." Another pause. "He left behind a child and a wife. And it is in them, and his descendants, that he will forever be alive." Roy raised his hand, and saluted toward the sky.

"Maes Hughes," He said. "I honor you." He lowered his hand slowly, then half-turned toward Ed and Al, his usual expression back.

"Next, I honor Edward and Alphonse Elric- the FullMetal alchemist and his brother." Ed stood up, one hand supporting Al, walking him forward until they stood before Mustang. They saluted each other.

"These two have shown great courage, and fought many battles. They lost much, but in the end, they have also gained. All of us, have gained, because of them. We could not have defeated the homunculi without them." Roy inclined his head a little, eyes completely serious. Then he smirked. "Hard to believe as that may be," He whispered to them. Ed gave a slight scowl, attempting to lead Al back to their seats. Al waved him oof, and made a few slightly wobbling steps closer to Mustang, whispering in his ear.

Roy's eyes widened for a moment. "I see," he said. "Thank you." He drew back, and- though Ed couldn't be sure- it looked like he was struggling to not smile. His eyes focused on both of them as Al drew back- the sly look he kept shooting Ed on his face.

"I honor both of you," Mustang said, his expression solemn once more.

Ed gave the barest of a nod, dragging Al back to their seats.

"Now, these next people are not a part of the military. But all the same, they have put their lives on the line to work with us, and save this country."

Ed found himself clenching his own fists as his father was called up. Ed's teeth gritted together. His anger toward his father had only increased as of late. Everything Hohenheim had said that day, when Ed had thought Winry'd...Ed shook his head. He didn't like to think about that time, that possibility. He'd been ready to kill his father- kill, when killing was one of the things Ed had all but sworn not to do.

And, damn it, he do it again. If Winry really had died...

Ed closed his eyes as his father walked back to his seat. He tried to focus on something else- anything, else. Following a part of his previous thought process, he found his mind trailing off to Winry, sitting in her hospital room, maybe watching from the window.

By the time Izumi and Sig were making their way toward Mustang, Ed's mind was far away from the crowd and everyone around him.

In his mind, he sat with Winry. He spoke with her, and they laughed. She smiled, and leaned toward him, mouth forming those words- those wonderful, dangerous, needed, words: _"Ed, I lo-"_

Al nudged him, effectively pushing Ed's fantasy out of his mind. Ed glared at his brother, both embarrassed and angry. Why did Al have to do that? And why was Ed thinking about that sort of thing in the first place?

But the reason for Al's nudge became apparent.

"Lastly," Mustang was saying, "We honor Winry Rockbell, who, at great personal risk, evacuated many people from this city, knowing of the danger they would face otherwise." He spread his arm toward the left side of the platform, and Ed turned his head, shock at what he saw making his mouth go slack, eyes wide.

Winry strode up the stairs of the platform, walking toward Mustang, her eyes on Ed. "Thank you," She said, and her voice rang clear throughout all of the crowd, sounding in Ed's ears like a longed-for sound, a sound he hadn't heard in far too long.

She turned toward him and Al, her eyes crinkling at the edges as she smiled. Scars still dotted her arms, and a thin one lay on her face- but she was _healed_. Whole.

Her fingers threaded through his. When had he stood up? Ed wasn't sure. But he couldn't stop staring at her, almost unable to believe it. His brain- which had momentarily stopped functioning when she had appeared- said that it was logical; Doctor Marcoh, or Mei could've healed her...

Winry pulled him down into his seat, her hand gripped in his automail one as she stood next to him, the seat beside him filled. "Winry..." He whispered, looking up at her. She smiled down at him, her head tilting a little. "It's fine."

But a hand nudged her, and she looked over to see Riza Hawkeye, her crimson eyes alight, standing up and offering Winry her seat.

"_There are so many people that have suffered because of what this military did under Furher Bradley's command..." _Mustang's voice seemed to float over to them.

"Take it, Winry," Riza said, her voice soft. "You must be tired. You haven't been healed long."

"_But, with allies in Xing, led by emperor Ling Yao- who, along with his bodyguards was an important part of our victory- and Mei Chan, an Alchemist with amazing abilities, we can begin to change all that."_

Winry stared at Riza for a moment, then smiled, sitting down. "Thank you," she said.

"_We also need another ally- that of the Ishvalans. We have wronged you- all of you. I murdered people in Ishval under Furher Bradley's command, but that does not excuse what we have done. People of Ishval, Amestris needs you. All countries need you. We must all work together, or nothing will ever change."_

Riza stood beside them now, staring at Roy with a small smile on her face. Ed stared at Winry, and her hand in his.

"_All of us here have lost much. We've lost homes, dreams, and families. My best friend was murdered. People in Ishval were slaughtered. People of Xing were thrown into disarray. People died, for no reason. I can't promise that people won't die in the future, or that we won't have to enter a war, but..."_

She was really here. Ed somehow couldn't believe it. Winry and Al sat beside him- alive.

"_...I can promise that things will change for the better. We need to remember what we have lost- hold it in our hearts, so we don't ever forget. Not so that we're dragged down by them, but so that we can remember why we must live, and why things must change. We need to walk forward, though the road ahead is hard. We must stand up and start out today."_

Ed couldn't believe that the two people he cared about most in the world were beside him, and would stay beside him. Ed turned his head, looking at Al, and then Winry.

"_I say 'we' because all of us have to be a part of this change. Whether you are Amestrin, Ishvalan, or Xingese- we must all work together, to change."_

Winry turned to look at him, her wide, beautiful eyes sparkling. She tilted her head to one side, smiling.

"_...and with everyone's help, we will pull through."_

It started slow at first- the last echoes of Mustang's speech fading before it really started. But once it started, it couldn't seem to stop. It grew, louder and louder until the whole world seemed to be screaming it's approval. Riza walked forward, and in front of everyone, Roy clasped her hand.

Mei came over from where the Xingian people had been sitting, taking Al's hand. "We'll do it together, won't we, Al-sama?" Al smiled at her, giving her a hug. "We will," He vowed. "Absolutely."

Ed smiled at Winry, and she threw her arms around his neck. "I missed you," She whispered, her breath tickling his neck. Ed swallowed deeply, blushing madly as he knew she would be too. Slowly, he wrapped his arms around her.

"Yeah," He said, pressing his face gently into her hair. "I've missed you too."

Neither said the words that really came to their minds. But that was alright. The words could be said another day- for now, they _had_ another day. Ed and Winry and Al and Mei and Roy and Riza and everyone-

Together.

((()))

In the shadows, he sat, his grin stretching wide. He cracked his knuckles together, biding his time.

He turned, walking away from the cheering scene, laughing to himself, imagining when the cheering and screaming of joy would turn to that of horror.

"Oh, what a lovely sound that will be..." He murmured.

Soon, he would strike.

* * *

Yay! But, at the same time: DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUN! Can anyone guess who the 'mysterious villain' is? Bet you can! I was a little worried about Mustang's speech, but I worked hard on it, and I like the end result. I stole parts of it from an ending speech in a video game: Final Fantasy 10. Super great game series, if you like that kind of thing (which I do). I only stole, and twisted, two lines. Everything else is me. I await your verdict on the suject. Also, the part where Winry get's healed- originally, Hohenheim DID heal her. I completely forgot about the whole 'human sacrifices' thing, and had him heal her, which is part of why this took so long. I had to rewrite. There are parts of that bit that I liked though, so if anyone wants to read that original part, let me know. Oh, and I have three songs for you all to keep in mind for the next chapter or so- songs that I beleive express the general EdWinness. They are:

I Feel You- by 3 Doors Down. This fits their whole relationship, and kinda is Royai too, if you think about it.

Realize- Colbie Calliat. This really fits Winry's opinion toward Ed, I think. Especially the 'take time to realize, that I, am on your side' part.

Far Away- Nickelback. Yeah, most everyone knows this song. But listen to it with Ed and Winry in mind and see what happens! I think it fits this story well too.

I dare anyone to make an FMV or an MMV to one of these for EdWin. If you do, let me know so I can see it!

Also, does anyone know how to scan art onto a computer, so that you can post it online? I'm a pretty good artist, and I'm thinking of drawing some of the scenes in this, like it is the manga! And a few other pictures/comics as well...

Reviews:

Sakura22222: Yep! Hope you like!

alchemichelper101: Oh yeah, it freakin' awesome with a capital FREAKIN. Hah. I'm glad you like this, and that you think the angst was just right.

Andrew Borealis: You reviewed for chapter 3, but, yes, it does get interesting. :D

xxCelestialStarxx: Thank you! I'm glad that it had such an impact. I'm also releived that no one seems to think that it's too much. I was just worried, because Ed like, never cries, so I didn't want to overdue it...glad you liked!

HopelessRomantic1818: Thank you! Don't know if this classifies as 'soon', but I did update! I'm glad you like this so much! :)

S J Smith: Ah, I love getting reviews from you. It's like having Christopher Paolini say that the beginings of my novel are good. No kidding, Ed does need sleep. I can totally see Winry surviving that kind of thing, and yes, major applause for her. Thanks! :D

Took-Baggins: Glad you understand. :) Yeah, I was crying a bit while I wrote it, and I'm so glad to have such major reactions from people. It makes my heart soar like a hawk...(That's a line from a great movie, by the way). Hope this lives up to your expectations!

Giant Nickel: Thank you! Cliffhangers are fun to write, but awful to read. I hate reading them, it makes me so mad when I can't know what happens next RIGHT THEN. Maybe I have a multiple personality disorder...Hope you liked this!

YourFavoritePlushie: Thank you! I liked it too. Not much Royai in this chapter, but there is going to be a ton in the next one or two...and EdWin is a given. Hope you enjoyed!

Arden Anam: (Blushes heavily) Wow. Thank you for the generous compliment. I'm glad you like this so much. (in shock, stumbles away dazedly from so much appreciation...)

Hee, that's it! Next chapter preview:

Hearts: _How can something so small be the entire function of one's body? And how can it make you feel so much joy, or sadness? A heart's a ehavy burden...but for how I'm feeling now, I wouldn't trade it for anything._ Time has passed, and slowly the world has begun to heal. It really is all over...and everyone decides to celebrate. Hearts reach out to one another, pressing together and clinging so tight it hurts to be away. Inbetween apple pies, dresses, blushing, rings, and love, it hard to imagine that something sinister is waiting, biding it's time...will the nights end with joy, or merely shattered hearts?

Possibly in two parts...it depends...

Ah, just when they think it's over, something else is starting. That's the way of the world. Reviews make me smile inside!

T-Th-tha-th-that's all folks! XD

AerithHeartilly


	8. Hearts, Part One

Woot! Another update! I decided to have this chapter in two parts- it ended up being longer than I thought it would...

Those who have been eager for some Roy/Riza action will get it this chapter. I'm really proud of myself for their interaction- as well as some other ones. The ending is the only bit that I'm worried about...but I honestly couldn't think of anything else. Also, I am doing this story in manga-style at home. If anyone knows how to scan pictures onto the computer, please let me know! I've almost finished the scene where Ed attacks his dad. There is a bit of symbolism in this chapter too- sort of a statement that things are going south from here. Enjoy the lack of angst while it lasts. Next chapter comes back with it full-force. Mwhaha.

My sister and I watched Conqurer of Shamballa yesterday. I'd seen it before, but she hadn't. I warned her about it as best as I could. Her reaction:

"OH HOW COULD THEY DO THAT?!? THAT IS SO STUPID! THAT'S IT?!? WHAT A HORRIBLE WAY TO END IT! ROY AND RIZA GOT ABOUT TWO LINES A PIECE! (at least Ed and Winry hugged) BUT THEY WOULD NEVER DO THAT! ARGGGGGH!"

We both find it extremely sad that there seems to be more chemistry between Alfons and Ed, than Ed and Winry. Then again, the same goes for EdNoa, so...But then, there was also more between Alter Al and Ed, than the actual Al. Meh.

Ugh. Noa. She was kind of cool at first, but then her personality flipped and she became needy and whiny. We laughed so hard when Ed confronted her: "I thought your people were proud to be Rhoma?!" Hah, he totally schooled her! However, we also laugehd our heads off when Ed clapped his hands together and was all: "Sorry, that's a habit of mine." Pfft. XD However, is it just me or did Ed become the amazing flying alchemist in that movie? Seriously, my sister and I were all:

LOOK! IT'S A BIRD!

IT'S A PLANE!

NO! IT'S...

Edward Elric? O.O

Seriously, we started saying it at the same time. No offense meant to anyone that liked the move. I just didn't- even though I wrote three one-shots that do not change the ending. Check out this URL for a super funny drawing done by CeruleanSan: .com/art/Canon-PWNing-62124134

As for the villain from last chapter...those who guessed got it right. They were: obsidianlight and Larxenethefly. Thank you both. :) That particular villain will appear next chapter.

DISCLAIMER: I AM TRUTH! COWER BEFORE ME! I AM THE MOST POWERFUL BEING IN FMA! MWHAHAHAH-

Don't sue all-powerful fictional characters. It's not nice. XD (Kidding, please don't sue...)

As always, a big thanks to please-knock, my FMA beta. Read her stories! (By the way, please-knock, no problem! I like advertizing your stories. They're good! Playing the Hero is my fav...)

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter Eight 

Hearts: Part one

"_One of the hardest things in life is having words in your heart that you can't utter."_

_-James Earl Jones_

"Is it ready yet?"

"_No_, Al. Be patient- sheesh."

"Aw..." Al's voice floated to her from the other room. "I can't help it, Winry! I've been waiting for this pie for a while..."

Grinning, Winry poked her head around the corner, shaking her head at Al. "I know, I know," She said, wiping her hands on her apron. "It'll be ready soon, Al. Don't fidget too much, or you'll lose an ear." Winry gestured to Mei, who was standing behind Al, cutting his hair. Al laughed, rolling his eyes up to look at the Xingian girl that was slowly cutting the long strands of hair. Al's hands rested comfortably on the arms of his wheel chair. Mei straightened his head, a frown puckering her lips.

"Al-sama, Winry-san is right. You need to stay still."

Al crossed his still-too-skinny arms, pouting. Winry laughed, struck suddenly by how much Al looked like his brother at that moment. On the floor, his blonde hair gathered in piles at his feet, the color of gold autumn leaves.

Shaking her head, Winry returned to the kitchen, checking the temperature in the oven. From the room over, she heard Al say: "I don't know how brother can stand having so much hair..."

"Both Winry-san and I have more hair than you or your brother, Al-sama," Mei pointed out. "We seem to manage fairly well."

Winry snickered at Al's response- "Well, you're girls." Just like Al- and Ed- to think that girls possessed some weird skill or power that made them able to stand the amounts of hair most had. Magic or skill had nothing to do with it- most women just had patience. Then again, Al had more patience than Ed in a lot of ways, and yet Al couldn't stand long hair. It was just one more of those ways in which the brothers were different, Winry supposed.

"By the way, Al," Winry called back to him, folding the crust of the pie over. "Where is Ed again? If he doesn't get back in time, there'll be no more pie left!"

"He's overseeing the construction of the new library," Al called back to her. "He already missed dinner- I don't think he has enough willpower in him to resist dessert. Especially your pie."

Winry laughed a little, and then frowned. She hoped Ed had gotten something to eat... still, she could understand. Al had told her a story- one that had happened quite a while ago. The story of a little girl, her crazed father, and the terrible experiment he cast upon her. Winry bit her lip, wishing that the brothers had told her about this incident when it had happened. She wanted to be there for them- to help shoulder their burdens so that the weight of the burdens didn't scar them forever. Now, the whole thing had been Ed's suggestion- Central needed a new military library after all, and Sheska was busy putting all of the files onto paper again. President Mustang had agreed- one of the things Ed could do on his `down time' while helping his brother heal.

When Ed wasn't working on the construction of the Nina Tucker Memorial Library, he was doing everything he could to help Al. When he couldn't, Mei or Winry usually filled in. Winry was sure that if Ed and Mei were together for more than a few minutes, they would start arguing furiously over who would help Al. Winry supposed it was luck that during the day, Mei was working with her fellows from Xing, trying to build better liaisons with Amestris. Ling- who was not yet emperor, but very soon would be- had given her a high position in his monarchy, one that would bring honor to her clan. The two seemed to rub along comfortably enough- far more so than Ran Fan and Mei did. And, of course, when the other two weren't around, Winry took the duties of caring for Al herself.

Winry knew that Ed very much wanted to say `screw everyone else, I've got to help my brother'- but she also knew it wasn't that simple. In the wake of the homunculi, there were some jobs that only he could do. Loath as he was to be away from his brother, he didn't want anyone else to suffer, either. Working on the library was his last job, one that he was only getting started. He would inscribe the memorial, and find a picture of the young girl to be enlarged in a painting, which would be hung by the entrance. But, he would be home tonight, and stay for a while on leave.

Winry couldn't stop the grin that blossomed on her face at the thought. Placing the pie into the oven, she set the timer, took off her apron and walked into the next room. She smiled at Al and Mei. "The pie's in the oven," She promised. "Not much longer now."

Al grinned back at her. "Great. Thanks, Winry!" Mei smiled briefly at her before concentrating on Al's hair again.

Winry walked over to the large door, pushing it open and stepping outside.

That morning, Olivier Armstrong had left Central, heading for Briggs. The house that Winry, Al, and Mei were currently in belonged to her and her family. President Mustang had given them permission to use it until they were able to find another house to stay in, or until they returned to Resembool. Winry wasn't sure how she felt about that- originally; she had merely wanted a place where she could use the kitchen for the night. The evening of Mustang's speech brought her to the Armstrong estate- though _palace _seemed like a better word. She was afraid to touch anything, lest she break it or stain it somehow.

Winry shivered, wrapping her arms around herself. It was spring, but nights in Central could still be pretty cold. She sat down on the steps, staring at the dark gate looming in the distance.

Ed would be home soon.

Her fingers gripped the sides of her arms. Why was it so hard to be apart from him now? Winry had been holding in that question about Ed's whereabouts all day- not wanting to seem like she was thinking about the subject too much. Al obviously wasn't fooled. Winry blushed. She had yet to talk with Ed...according to Hohenheim, he knew of her feelings now. He hadn't rejected her yet, and that was a good start...But what if he was just trying to let her down easy, or not ruin their friendship? True, there were times when Ed acted like he cared about her as someone more than a friend...but Winry couldn't hold back the niggling self-doubt that said it just wasn't possible.

Deep down, Winry was sure she knew the answer to his feelings. But she couldn't get down there deep enough to find that answer. Something in the distance caught her eye and she jumped.

And, like a light out of the darkness, he was there.

Winry stood, staring at his silhouette as he slowly walked up the drive. His hands were in his pockets, and as the light from the windows illuminated him, she saw that his head was bent, staring at the ground. He looked up, meeting her gaze. His golden eyes widened for a moment- shining brilliantly in the faint light- and then his face split into a smile; transforming it from tired and haggard, to comfortable and happy.

"Winry..."

She ran down the steps, stopping just in front of him, her own grin stretching so wide, she felt that it would split her face in half. The blossoming feeling in her chest spread, and she felt as though she was glowing with her happiness. She reached for his hand.

Tugging it, she pulled him along; up the steps and to the door. "Come on, Ed. The pie's in the oven, and everyone's waiting."

She pulled him inside, fingers lingering for a few seconds in his palm- surprised that, as she began to pull away, his fingers tightened- as though being away from her hurt him too, and as if he wanted her to stay beside him. But the moment passed, and he shot her a smiling glance before walking toward his brother, who beamed at him. Xiao Mei growled, but Mei shot Ed a small smile. Ed smiled back at her briefly- a tad bit forced, but mostly true- before shooting her a look that clearly told her to let him take care of his brother. Mei frowned, and cut the last bit of Al's hair, stepping away, moving to Al's right side as Ed approached from the front.

Winry watched them all with a smile.

*(*(*(*)*)*)*

The knife slid slowly into the pie, sinking into the gently cracking crust. Winry lifted the knife to create the proper triangular piece. She paused, looking up and raising an eyebrow at the identical expressions on Ed and Al's faces- open-mouthed, salivating, wide-eyed hunger. Winry shook her head in amusement, finishing the cut.

"Ed, put your tongue back in your mouth. Al gets the first piece."

Ed scowled at her. "I know that. I'm just hungry. Didn't get to eat dinner."

Winry set the piece of pie on a plate, passing it to Al, along with a fork. She frowned at Ed's statement, but said nothing. She would confront his health habits later. Contrary to what he had just said, Ed leaned forward a bit to watch Al eat- not a trace of hunger in his eyes. Winry and Mei stared at Al too- Xiao Mei peering from Mei's shoulder. Al raised the fork to his mouth, and then paused.

"Brother...Winry...Mei...are you going to stare at me like that the whole time I eat? It's a _little_ distracting..."

Winry blushed in embarrassment, scooting back a bit. Mei moved back as well. Ed moved about a fraction of an inch, and then said: "Sorry, Al. We're just...amazed that you can eat."

Winry nodded. "We've been waiting for this moment a long time, Al."

Of course, this wasn't the first meal Al had eaten. But hospital food didn't really count- not in the grand scheme of things. Hospital food barely qualified as edible.

"Xiao Mei and I have not known you as long, Al-sama," Mei smiled, eyes shining. "But we still want to share this moment with you."

Al's eyes filed with tears. He blinked them back, focusing on the steaming piece of crust and filling on his fork. Slowly, almost hesitantly, he put it into his mouth.

Winry, Ed, Mei, (and Xiao Mei) waited anxiously as he chewed. Suddenly, Al's eyes widened, and he began to dig into the pie with vigor, as if he too hadn't eaten dinner.

"Fhanks, `inry." He spoke around his mouthful as best as he could. "I's `elishous!"

Winry giggled. "Thanks, Al." She felt as if she could cry from happiness again, but instead smiled broadly at the others, cutting another piece of pie.

"To the man that went without dinner," She announced. "Don't expect to get pie every time that happens. In fact, do your damndest to make sure it doesn't happen again." She set the piece in front of the eldest brother, who lost no time in snarfing his own piece. He somehow squished out a fairly understandable `thank you' to Winry, who couldn't hold back her laughter.

"You two have such horrible table manners..." She shook her head exasperatedly.

Al paused to swallow. "Ed's the one with bad manners, Winry. I've just been waiting a long time to eat this." He smiled at her, and then dove back into his pie. Ed glared at him, not stopping long enough in his furious eating to do anything else.

Winry giggled again, sharing a look with Mei and holding out a newly cut piece.

"Want one?"

*(*(*(*)*)*)*

The doorbell rang.

Ed's head snapped up from where he had been slipping into a doze. Winry paused on her way down the stairs. Ed met her gaze, his eyes slightly worried.

"I locked the gate," He said. He stood, walking over to the door slowly. Winry stepped down the stairs, coming up behind him. Why was he so paranoid?

"Ed, you're not the only one with a key to this place, you know..."

Ed lifted a hand to quiet her, dropping it so that it was spread in front of her- making sure that she stayed behind him. "Who is it?" He called.

The door was pushed open. "Now, now, Ed, diplomatic ties are an important part of being in the military. What would people say if they heard you wouldn't open the door for the future Emperor?" Ling grinned at them, his hands in his pockets. The difference between him and Greed could not have been more prominent at that moment- Ling had changed out of the homunculus' constant black, into his old, brightly colored attire. The clothes were many shades of blue and purple and yellow- somehow regal looking, though they clashed horribly. Oddly enough, the look suited him.

Ed relaxed- mostly. He had confirmed to Winry what Mei had said- that the homunculus still existed inside of the Xingian teen.

"Try to be a little quieter- Al just fell asleep." Ed grumbled. "He needs his rest."

"Ah." Ling nodded sagely. "Yes. I hope he is doing well? Good. Mei occasionally informs me of his health. I did not mean to disturb him." Still grinning widely, he pressed his hands together, bowing a little.

"It's fine," Winry said. "Al sleeps like a rock these days." And no wonder. Ed may have been sleeping for him, but Al still tired easily, and had a lot of sleep to catch up on. Ling's eyes lighted on her when she spoke. He came forward faster than Winry could blink, catching her hands in his. Winry blinked at him in startlement.

"Ah, miss Winry. I require your services-"

Ed stormed between them, pushing their hands apart savagely. "She is NOT marrying you!" He snarled in a low voice- still aware of his senses enough to not want to wake Al.

Winry glared at him, wringing her hands. "Ed!" She scowled at him. "I don't think that's what he was going to ask." She turned back to Ling, whose face held no anger- just the same grin. "What do you need me for, Ling?"

Ling's grin, if possible, grew wider. "Just a moment." He half-turned away, calling out the open door: "Ran Fan!"

Immediately, the girl was in the room, dressed in her usual black, eyes slightly wary. "Young Master, I do not believe this is necessary..." She held one of her arms close to her body, oddly tense. Ling shook his head.

"Miss Winry, would you mind taking a look at her automail? Word is that you're the best mechanic to go to."

Winry blushed, scratching the back of her neck in flattered embarrassment. "I don't know about _that_..." She smiled at Ran Fan, suddenly excited. "I haven't been able to work on automail for a while...let me see..." She jumped forward, holding out her hand for Ran Fan's arm. The girl stared at the offered hand for a moment, then glanced at Ling, who nodded at her. Sighing, Ran Fan placed her arm in Winry's hand, wincing a little. Winry rolled back the black sleeve and gasped. Slowly, she turned horror-struck eyes to the Xingian girl.

"What happened to this automail? If you could even call it automail to begin with!"

Winry's hands moved over the lines of the metal limb, mouth open. There were at least three places where the metal had been punctured, exposing the wires. The wrist dangled uselessly, fingers twitching occasionally. Ran Fan moved slightly at her touches- eyes widening suddenly, muffling an exclamation. Winry's head snapped up, frowning. Her hands went up to the shoulder, moving it in a few different directions. Ran Fan turned her head away, and Winry's frown deepened. "Ran Fan..." She said slowly. "Tell me, how long did you take to recover after the automail surgery."

The Xingian girl's head snapped back toward her, blinking in astonishment. Winry ignored the look, waiting for an answer. Ran Fan's lip jutted out, and she pressed her lips together- pursing them. Ling gave her a look and she deflated, bending her head.

"Six months..." She mumbled.

Winry raised her eyebrows as high as they would go. She shook her head, slapping a hand over her forehead. "Six months?" She repeated, closing her eyes and relaxing her brows. "No wonder, then..." Opening her eyes, Winry gave Ran Fan a hard look.

"Listen. Recovering from automail surgery in six months is _impossible_. I suppose you can do it enough so that it doesn't hurt to use the automail, but you can't recover it enough for things like fighting! No matter how determined you are, automail is metal, and takes a certain amount of time to mold with your body and work correctly!" She sighed. "While it's true that I thought it unlikely that Ed could do it in a year- especially with two automail limbs- but it still had possibility. Six months doesn't have that, and definitely not with _this_ kind of automail!" Winry dropped Ran Fan's arm, stepping back and sighing deeply.

"You can repair it, though, yes?" Ling said, moving closer. Ed moved closer to Winry as well, zipping between the soon-to-be emperor and the mechanic. Apparently, he still didn't trust that the young man didn't want to ask for Winry's hand.

Winry rolled her eyes at Ed, then focused on Ling. "I could," She answered. "But I don't have my tools with me." Her brow puckered. "All of my tools are back in Resembool." She smiled sadly. "Sorry, but, without the right tools, I can't rebuild a whole new arm- which is what she needs. I can tune-up this one so that she can use it until she gets a new one, though..." Her fingers traced her chin thoughtfully. Her eyes saddened a little. "You should either go to Rush Valley, or to Resembool. My grandmother taught me everything I know, and Rush Valley is full of engineers. Until then," She gestured to the kitchen. "Follow me."

They all entered the vast kitchen. Winry walked over to a far corner, where the remains of her backpack lay. It was tattered and bloodstained, and many of the items within it had been lost, but Winry successfully withdrew her wrench from the bag. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a screwdriver, saying: "I found this screwdriver while I was looking around. I think it was left behind by some builders, or something, because I haven't been able to find any other tools." She motioned for Ran Fan to come over as she walked toward the counter. The black-cloaked girl came reluctantly, obediently placing her automail arm on the countertop as Winry dictated.

Winry smiled at the two men for a moment, waving her hand toward the doorway. "Why don't you go check on Al, Ed? Ling, look around if you want. I'm afraid it might not be too interesting to watch me work..."

For a moment, Ling's content, happy, expression slipped, and he locked eyes with Ran Fan for a second. His face was unreadable- his eyes tinged with what seemed to be reluctance. Then, he beamed, pressing his hands together and bowing toward Winry. "Thank you," He said, grinning. He grabbed Ed by the shoulders, steering him toward the next room. "Come!" He said, his steps high and joyful. "Let us see to your brother!"

Ed glanced back at Winry, clearly wishing that he would stay behind- not only to be with her, but also so that he wouldn't have to be with Ling. Winry smiled at him, trying to convey her feelings. Soon he was whipped out of sight, and she turned back to the young bodyguard. Silence fell between them.

Winry set to work. As she did her best to reassemble the wires, she stared hard at the girl, trying to piece together Ran Fan's feelings. She didn't like talking to others outside of Ling and that older man named Fuu...But Winry didn't think that it was because she was bigoted. More likely, it was just how she had been brought up. To do what the `Master' said, bend her head, and let others do the talking. Be ready to sacrifice her own life for a possible future ruler. It was the exact opposite of how Winry herself had been brought up.

Winry had always been told to speak what was on her mind. Her parents had always encouraged her to tell them her thoughts- and in turn spoke of theirs to her. Growing up with Ed and Al, they had always been outspoken- rule breakers- rebellious. Whenever Winry and Ed got into one of their arguments, the other always got a chance to say what they were trying to say. Sure, they interrupted each other, but there was never the doubt or fear that the other wouldn't listen. As she grew older, Winry learned that of course some things were better left unsaid, and she learned _tact_ with what she did say. She did not need permission to speak, and never asked for it. But Ran Fan did- speaking only when told to- defending someone without a choice- that was Ran Fan's life.

Ling seemed like he was trying to break her out of that a little bit, and Winry hoped that he would be successful. Ran Fan wasn't stupid- and Winry bet that she had a lot on her mind. She had words to say, but never said them.

"Where's that other man...Fuu?" Winry asked, reaching for her wrench.

Ran Fan's dark, fathomless eyes met hers for a moment before she looked away. "Outside..." She finally said, her voice just a whisper. Winry frowned.

"He doesn't have to stay out there..."

Ran Fan shook her head. "He is watching the house." She blinked suddenly, as if just realizing that she had spoken. She turned her head even farther away.

Winry smiled a little, trying to be encouraging in her voice and manner. She wanted the girl to feel comfortable.

"You're very brave," She offered, bending over the arm more. She felt Ran Fan start, and turn to look at her. Winry glanced up, smiling at her. "You are," She insisted. "I admire you..." She admitted, twisting the wrench in her hand.

Ran Fan's eyes were wide in astonishment. She turned her head away again, saying nothing.

Winry frowned, realizing something. Though she had never been openly hostile, there was something about Ran Fan's demeanor that indicated dislike. It went beyond just being raised the way she was- she did not like Winry. Her body was tense, her other fist clenched tight.

Winry sighed. Why would Ran Fan dislike her? She couldn't recall ever having done anything to her...Then Winry realized. The memory of Ed's expression when Ling had first arrived, assuming that he was going to ask Winry to marry him...

Winry felt her eyes soften. She lowered her voice- speaking softly, quietly. "I have no interest in Ling, you know." Ran Fan jerked so violently, that she almost ripped her arm from Winry's grasp. Winry looked up and smiled at Ran Fan's red face and wide eyes. Finally, she collected herself.

"That- that is good." She said, drawing herself up to her full height. "It would not be appropriate."

Winry smiled sadly, turning her eyes back to her work. "I love someone else, Ran Fan. There's no reason for you to worry. I would...like for us to be friends..."

Ran Fan blinked, then looked away. "I...am..." She paused, collecting herself. "Perhaps that would be good," She whispered. "For us to be...friends..." She said the word as though she had never said it before, and found the words odd on her tongue. But she also said it as though she wasn't exactly adverse to the idea.

Winry paused. She was doing good so far, but she had to be careful, or Ran Fan would close off again. It was almost like navigating through all the wires in automail parts. Connect one wrong, or hit it in the wrong spot, and all the wires were ruined.

Making her voice even softer, Winry said: "You should tell him, you know." She didn't have to say his name; Ran Fan would know. The girl's spine straightened, and her head snapped toward Winry. There was a fire in her eyes- and a worry and fear too. Winry smiled at her, saying without words that she understood. Ran Fan deflated, her shoulders slumping as she looked away once more. Finally, she spoke.

"There are some things you can never say..." She murmured. "No...matter what is..._there_...in my heart...or his...there are some things that I can never say." Suddenly she looked up, and her eyes were wide- young and bright and true. Pleading. "You can understand that, can't you?"

Winry felt her own eyes widen. The question was asked expecting an answer- expecting an answer Ran Fan knew. Winry hadn't realized that while she was examining and understanding Ran Fan- that the Xingian girl was doing the same to her. Looking at her- and knowing. Understanding- assuming. Realizing without asking. Winry's mind went to Ed- and a million fractured images of him passed over her eyes. Things that she could never say- never admit out loud...

"Yes," She whispered finally, eyes downcast, her sad smile still in place. "I do understand. I do."

*(*(*(*)*)*)*

Riza Hawkeye sighed. This man did not know what he was talking about- period. She placed her fingers over her eyes as the man in front of her babbled and waved his arms about frantically, pointing at her amidst his babble.

Perhaps this was karma- fate's (or Truth's, she supposed)- way of paying her back for all those hours of forcing Roy through monotonous paperwork. Occasionally, some of these people were smart, and it was easy to bring them in as lunatics- for smart they may have been, but they wanted the old Fuhrer back. And then, there were men like this one- who supported the former Fuhrer because of superstitions, and simple stupidity. It was frustrating, but she supposed that it was better than dealing with some of the other people that would have supported Bradley's endeavors.

No, she was lucky that she didn't have to deal with the homunculi any more.

With another sigh, she said: "Sir, I have to ask you to come with me-"

The man continued to babble, spit flying from his mouth as he accused her and Roy of so many things that she didn't catch half of them. Grunting in frustration, she drew her gun, pointing it at the man. He immediately froze, babbling cut off.

"Now," Riza said. "Since you seem to have so much against me, I must ask you to let these officers accompany you." Two male officers came up from behind her, grabbing the man by his arms.

"You are charged with attempted assault and arson." Riza said coolly. "You will wait for a trial in the Central prison." She nodded at the two men, who dragged the deranged man off, as he started cursing her and the new Fuher.

Shaking her head, Riza put her gun back in its holster.

"Lieutenant," A voice called. Riza turned automatically- though she was no longer a lieutenant, many of the others that had known her well in the military still jokingly called her that- though she outranked many of them. Breda jogged up to her, hands in his pockets. They saluted each other, and then Breda said, "Fuhrer Mustang wants to see you." He jerked his thumb back toward the main Central military building- rebuilt with alchemy just a few days before. Riza nodded, then frowned. There was something about Breda's face...like he was guarding his expression carefully. His eyes were different from their usual relaxed look. Instead, they seemed...amused...? Before she could say anything, he was walking past her with a wave.

Furrowing her eyebrows, she made her way to Roy's office.

Many people stopped in their track to salute her as she came by. Members of the military treated her with nearly the same respect as they treated the Fuhrer himself. It was a little disconcerting, but overall she accepted it easily enough.

Riza stopped outside of the office, rapping her knuckles against the door. "Enter," Roy's voice called, and she opened the door. He was standing by the window, looking out at the streets below.

When she was in the middle of the room, he spoke.

"I always imagined myself here," He said. "You know that. I always imagined myself looking down from this window-" he gestured toward the glass in front of him. "And changing things. Really changing things. And now here I am... looking down on everyone." His hand met the windowsill, touching it lightly. "It's odd... sometimes I wonder if I can handle all of this. But then I realize that I've got all these people that believe in me- believed in me..." And his voice trailed off. Riza knew he was thinking of Hughes.

"...And my conviction grows strong again. I am going to change things. I got here, and I'm not leaving `till I've made things better." He turned finally, and smiled at her, dark eyes dancing a little. He came to her, making her tilt her head up the slightest bit to look him in the eyes.

"So I suppose I have you to thank for watching my back all this time, eh?" His voice was amused. Riza raised her eyebrows.

"I was merely following orders, sir..." She said, voice polite, but with her own tinge of amusement present too. "And I will continue to follow those orders, until I decide otherwise."

Roy smiled, and instead of answering, bent down, pressing his lips to her temple. Then he straightened, motioning for her to follow him to his desk. She sat at the chair in front of it- while he sat in the high-backed one behind it. He folded his hands together, serious.

"There are certain duties demanded of me, that I cannot do alone," he began. And Riza noticed the same look she had seen in Breda's eyes- carefully concealed amusement or happiness...

"As Fuhrer, at times I must work with others in a way that is different than what I have done before. Luckily, in the case of which I am speaking, I can pick my `partner'. This deed will require much on both of our parts- a certain amount of giving and sacrifice, I am sure. But, in the end, I am positive that the results will be beneficial to us both. I believe that I have made a good decision- and with your acceptance in this proposition, we can move forward better equipped. I cannot do it with anyone else- so if you refuse, it will not happen at all. But you are free to refuse, if you find the idea to be too much. Now," He paused, eyeing her intently. "Would you like to see the offer?"

Riza nodded, curious and a little confused. Normally, Roy wasn't quite this vague... "Yes, sir." She leaned forward a little as his hands went to his desk drawer. He pulled out a box about as wide as the average piece of paper, and as tall as a great stack of them. He pushed the box toward her, his expression unreadable.

She pulled the box closer, surprised at how easy it moved. Riza opened it, setting the lid aside. There were no papers inside the box, like she expected. No, the box was empty except for one thing...

A small, black, velvet box, set in the middle- the kind that would hold a small jewel...

...or a ring.

Riza looked up from the box, her mouth and eyes wide. In response, Roy gave her a beatific smile, his fingers laced together.

"Well, what do you say?"

*(*(*(*)*)*)*

Ling pressed his hands together once again. "Thank you, Miss Winry," He said sincerely. "You forever have my gratitude." He straightened, smiling. "We will see the appropriate mechanic on our way to the east. Please feel free to visit us any time. Both of you- and your brother as well," Ling added, nodding at Ed. "And call on us if you are in need."

Winry nodded at him, striding forward and shaking his hand. "No problem. You're welcome wherever we are, too." Ed grumbled something behind her, but she ignored him. "Mei leaves for Xing tomorrow, right?" She released his hand.

Ling nodded. "Indeed. Do you wish for her to stay?"

Winry shook her head. "I'll miss her, but I know she needs to go. Al and I just wanted to make sure that we could say goodbye before she left." Ling smiled and nodded.

Fuu appeared behind him. He too bowed toward Ed and Winry. "I thank you both," he said. "For my granddaughter's arm, and for your help with Young Master." His wise eyes swept over them as he straightened. "Fare well," He nodded toward them.

Ling stepped forward, and a little hesitantly, held his hand out to Ed. Ed smirked, taking it in his own with a firm grip. He even clapped him on the back. "Go eat someone else out of house and home," Ed teased, his eyes bright. Ling grinned, stepping back, releasing Ed's hand. He walked out the door, and Fuu followed.

Ran Fan paused in the doorway. She half-turned back toward them, her partially repaired automail arm hanging beside her. She seemed to be struggling with herself, her flesh hand clenching and unclenching- though her face held no anger. Finally, her words slipped out.

"Thank you," She said to Winry in a small voice, barely audible. She made a half-step forward, then paused again. Her voice was a whisper when she spoke.

"And I...I admire you, too..."

She hesitated a second longer, then walked out the door, not looking back.

Ed sighed, yawning and shaking his head. His hand scratched the back of his neck. Winry smiled at him, pushing his shoulder playfully. "Go on up, sleepyhead." She teased. "Don't collapse on the stairs." Ed shot her a lop-sided grin, and she giggled, warmth filling her heart.

"No promises there," Ed said. "But if I do, you'll have to drag my body up the stairs."

Winry snorted, still smiling. "Right. I'd just leave you on the stairs. You sleep so deeply that you'd never tell the difference between your bed and the stairs, once you were out."

Ed scowled playfully, rolling his eyes. "Thanks," He said sarcastically.

Winry smiled brightly at him, her eyes shining. "No problem."

He started up the stairs, only to stop and frown down at her. "Are you gonna stay up all night?" He questioned incredulously. Winry shook her head. "No, I'll be up in a while. I just have to clean up some things first," She jerked her head toward the kitchen.

Ed shook his head. "Don't run yourself ragged, Winry. I'll help you..." He made to get off the stairs, but Winry shook her head. "No, Ed." She said firmly, eyes glinting. "You've been working hard. You need your rest. Go and sleep."

Ed looked like he was about to protest, and then yawned again. Winry smiled softly at him. "Go," She insisted. "I won't be up long. I have to get some sleep so that I'll be conscious when we go to say good-bye to Mei tomorrow." Ed nodded reluctantly, making his way up the stairs, and into the room he and his brother were sharing.

Moonlight filtered through the window, shining on the wheelchair in the corner, and the wooden desk beside Al's bed. His brother was sleeping silently, thin body moving up and down with his breathing. Ed moved, walking over to his bed and sitting down on it, staring at Al. It would be a while before he tired of watching his brother sleep- and do simple things, like eat.

It was hard for him to understand the feelings that had been coursing through him these past days. His hand reached up to his chest- to his heart, his eyebrows furrowed. His heart. The thing that felt all of these things- the organ that kept him alive.

_How can something so small be the entire function of one's body?_ He wondered. _And how can it make you feel such joy, or sadness...?_

Al smiled in his sleep, and Ed couldn't stop the smile that came to his own face in response. Downstairs, if he listened hard enough, he could hear the faint sounds of Winry moving around and cleaning things up. He wanted to be like this forever. He couldn't name half of the feelings that flowed through him- but they were strong.

When he had thought that Winry was..._dead_...he had felt a despair he hadn't thought possible. A raw _pain_ that threatened to kill him with the force of it. When he had seen his brother returned to his body, he had felt a joy and completeness he also hadn't been able to imagine, until he had felt it.

And here, now. Nothing exciting was happening. He was just with the two people that mattered most to him in the world. They were living. Al could eat, and Winry could smile- cry tears of happiness. They were together, and content. More than content.

They were _happy_. Truly, wonderfully, happy.

Their lives had their dark spots, but in that moment- that simple moment- those dark points seemed less powerful, less significant.

_Sometimes a heart's a heavy burden_...Ed mused. He closed his eyes, and smiled.

_But for how I'm feeling now, I wouldn't trade it for anything..._

*(*(*(*)*)*)*

It was crowded at the station, though not as much as it had been on other occasions. Panting, Winry squeezed her way through a gap in-between two people. The others squeezed in after her, huffing a little.

"Well," Mei said, her black hair glinting in the sunlight. "My train boards in a few minutes. I suppose..." She turned to look at them all- eyes huge and dark in her pretty face. Her lip jutted out as she stared at them all.

Winry was the first to move, bending down and wrapping her arms around Mei's shoulders. "Promise you'll write?" Winry asked thickly, though no tears filled her eyes. Mei nodded against her. "Of course, Winry-" she paused, stepping back. "Winry-chan." She said after a moment. "That means that you are a dear friend to me. Of course I will write to you. And visit as soon as I can." She smiled up at her, eyes shining. Winry smiled back, gently petting Xiao Mei, who made noises of approval in her throat.

Ed didn't hold out his hand, but he smiled- an honest smile. "Maybe when you're older you can teach Al and me some of your country's alchemy," He said. "In the meantime, see if you can change things, Bean-girl." He smirked. Mei paused, then grinned at him, nodding.

"The same to you, bean-sized man." She said. Ed's eye twitched a little -something that Winry was sure was just a habit more than anything else- but he nodded. Xiao Mei hopped off of Mei's shoulder, crawling up Ed's pant leg. Ed picked it up, holding it in his palm. Lightly, gently, Xiao Mei bit one of his fingers.

Ed chuckled, handing the small panda back to the Xingian girl.

Mei's eyes met Al's and both stared at each other for a minute. Then Al used the arms of his wheel chair, standing a little wobbly. He took slow steps toward her, holding up a hand to stop Ed from stepping in to help. Al smiled down at her, his eyes crinkling at the edges.

"I'll miss you," He said softly, golden eyes glowing.

Mei stared up at him for a moment, then, with a trembling expression, she moved forward, locking her arms around him. Her eyes filled with tears. "I...I will miss you too, Al-sama..."

"Al," He told her, leaning down as he hugged her back. "Just Al."

She moved back from him, wiping at her eyes. A sharp whistle came from the conductor- the train was ready to leave. Mei stared back at them all for a moment, and then she bowed low, pressing her hands together.

"I will miss you all," She said quietly. And then she turned, making her way toward the train, looking back until her face became much smaller. When the train started up, they all stood there, watching it go until it faded out of sight.

Winry sighed, smiling sadly. Al grinned at her, back in his wheel chair, his eyes shining as though he wanted to cry a little bit. His smile was true, though.

"It's alright," He said. "We'll see her again soon."

Winry nodded, coming forward so that she was right next to Ed and Al, wrapping her arms around both of their shoulders. "Come on, guys," She said. "Let's head back."

The three turned- the boy on her left blushing, and the boy on her right wheeling along beside them. Throughout the walk back, she didn't release Ed's hand.

Out in the crowd, a tall man with huge muscles and a curl of blonde hair on his head sobbed quietly into a handkerchief. His whole demeanor seemed to show emotion- almost tangible sparkles around his whole body with the feel of it.

"Th-that was so beautiful..." He sobbed in his deep voice, smiling. "Oh, what happy days lie ahead!"

*(*(*(*)*)*)*

The room was dark. A single light shone on the head of an Ishvalan- an Ishvalan with an x-shaped scar running down his forehead.

A voice spoke from the darkness. "You are the criminal, alchemist-killer known as Scar, correct?"

He blinked slowly. "Yes."

"Do you know why you are here?"

He nodded. "I am here to receive punishment for my crimes."

"Hmm." The speaker hummed in approval. "Indeed." The man leaned forward, and suddenly the light shone enough on his face so that the voice could be identified. Roy Mustang looked at Scar with an expressionless face. The man's response was only a slight widening of his eyes.

"I am an alchemist, Scar. As such, this is somewhat of a personal case. Who you are makes it more so. I am here to tell you your fate."

Scar said nothing, his arms crossed, hands balling into fists under them.

Roy paused. "I'm not going to throw you in jail, you know. And I'm not going to execute you." Scar inhaled sharply, staring at him. Roy nodded, still expressionless.

"There are a lot of reasons for the things that we do in our lives," He said softly. "Sometimes we know that they are wrong, but we do them anyway, because to us they seem right. Reason, and justice, are not clear-cut. But the fact is, if I imprisoned you, I would also have to imprison myself. And I can't do that. There's too much that I have to do for this country to let that happen." He paused, then continued. "Most people wouldn't understand what it is like to kill. Everyone has their reasons to do it at times- and some are what you could even call `noble'. And then there are people like FullMetal with a `Resolve not to kill'." Roy chuckled blackly. "He's stubborn enough- and determined and moral enough, that he will probably be able to go through his life without killing someone. But most people aren't like that. I killed hundreds of people with a snap of my fingers- on orders, yes. But I killed- I killed. You, you have killed many. You say you want revenge. You killed a lot of people- but not without reason. That is what I can say in truth. But you killed a lot of people in cold blood too."

Mustang's eyes suddenly sharpened. "You helped us fight the homunculi, so for that, you have my thanks. But you will pay for your crimes, Scar."

Red eyes stared him down. "You say that you would have to put yourself in jail too," Scar said slowly. "So how will you pay for your crimes?"

Mustang's expression didn't change. "I have paid, and will continue to pay for my crimes. You see, there is a difference between you and me. It is not the difference of our skin, but something else." He leaned forward, eyes abruptly hard- steely. "I regret what I did, more than I can ever express, Scar." He said. "I regret it, and I live with it. Because of that I pay for my crimes every single day of my life. I know exactly what I did, and I have to live with it." He moved back into the shadows.

His footsteps were heard, moving toward the door. Light flooded the room as the door opened, and men in uniform came in.

"You will pay for your crimes, Scar," Roy said, his figure framed in the light. "We have someone that can remove the alchemical power in your arm. Learn of the families of those you killed. As for the rest, I turn you over to your people. Know what you did, Scar," He said, turning around and marching out the door.

"And live with it."

* * *

There we go. I was a bit nervous about how I handled the Scar thing...

But, I LOVE the part where Roy proposes. Can't you just totally see him doing that? Winry and Ran Fan's interaction pleased me as well.

Also, I am doing a poll here and now, for which FMA story I will do once this one is over. The options are:

Bride: The Princess Bride with FMA characters. EdWin, Royai, AlMei, LingFan. The characters all are their FMA selves, not like the people in the movie. I mean, seriously, Ed is no Weastly...and Winry is no whimpy Buttercup either. Al will be in it, still playing Ed's brother, and Mei will be in it as well, playing a friend of Winry's. The Prince will be none other than Kimblee, and Envy will be Count Rugar (the six-fingered man) Ling and Ran Fan will be in it too! This story will almost positively be longer than WWID...

Consider it Done: Based off of these two pieces of art: .com/art/Genie-of-The-Milk-Bottle-74145688

and: .com/art/Milk-Bottle-Genie-SWOOSH-81214165

Both are by CeruleanSan. Basically, an Ed-as-a-genie story. I think I'll have it set in the actual FMA world, or else a place like Xerxes. EdWin, mostly. But with my usual stuff too. Not too sure about the title yet...

Leverage: Another story taking place during the Promised Day. The Homunculi take the hostage situation to a whole new level. Can Ed and Al still fight, when their hostage is dangling in front of their noses?

That's it! So please, vote.

Reviews:

alchemichelper101: Thank you! Well, the end is approaching, so this won't be too long...I agree, Al being sly is very funny.

obsidianlight: Thank you! Hope this was soon enough...

Larxenethefly: Thank you! I'm glad you like Roy's speech. :D

YourFavoritePlushie: Thank you! And, yep, things take a turn for the worse here soon... Glad you like!

xxCelestialStarxx: Yep, FF rules. Have you played any others? Glad you like Roy's speech. :) Hope you liked this one too.

Arden Anam: Thank you! Glad you like!

Sakura22222: Yep, lots of fluff. Have to put in the fluff to make up for all the angst coming up... Thanks!

That's it. :D Next chapter preview:

Hearts Part Two: Everything seems to be going in the right direction. Three months have passed since that last battle, and everyone invlolved is getting together to celebrate. Tales from those whose battle we didn't see when everyone was fighting, Al walking without his wheel chair, Izumi, Pinako arrive. Winry finally gets a chance to speak to Ed about all that's happened. Will she be able to utter those three little words? An unexpected guest arrives...someone that might just **_blow_** all their happiness away. Will Ed have to leave again....?

For that chapter, think of these songs:

'So Close' from Enchanted, and 'Realize' by Colbie Calliat. I am doing a MMV to 'So Close' for Ed and Winry. Check my YouTube page (link on my profile) for it. It will be finished soon...

Well, 'till next time!

~AerithHeartilly


	9. Hearts, Part Two

HI!

So, it's official. There is a trailer for the new FMA anime that is mangabased. I think I'm still in shock. Only sixteen seconds, but I am still majorly stoked. YAY! *Does a victory dance*

Oh, and I read the newest manga chapter. Man, I hate Kimblee. It's going to be a looooooooong month of waiting.

Okay, beware the fluff and angst in this chapter. I'm a bit nervous about it, but...yeah. It's really long. Thirty-three pages, actually. I try to make each chapter longer than the one before it, and I think I can do that for the next chapter. This one was almost split up again to make a three-parter. Anyway, it's one more chapter, and then the epilogue. If everything goes like I planned it at least. Then, I will get to work on my next FMA story, one of the ones that you all voted for in the poll last time.

I also would like to apologize for taking so long with this. NaNoWriMo- what can I say? But, I was sick and missed three days of school, which is really why this is getting updated now.

Once again: BEWARE THE FLUFF AND ANGST. Seriously, I'm expecting a few all-caps reviews about the end...

DISCLAIMER: I am Scar. I can blow up the FullMetal Alchemist...!!! Oh, wait...that's Kimblee...

Would you want a homicidal Ishbalan or a crazy Alchemist after you? Me neither, so please don't sue.

As always, thanks to please-knock, my beta. HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

* * *

Chapter Eight 

Hearts: Part Two 

**Three Months Later...**

"_And ever has it been known that love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation."_

_Kahlil Gibran_

Really, it was the perfect place.

The Armstrong estate was huge- more than enough room. Besides, the whole thing wasn't that elaborate.

Three months had passed since the defeat of the homunculi. And all of those that had fought that great battle together- and their loved ones- were coming together to celebrate.

In other words: they were having a party.

Many from the military were coming. Hohenheim was invited (though no one thought that he would actually show) as well as Izumi and her husband. Pinako was also invited, and would be arriving that day. It really wasn't a big event- not like some 'military ball' or anything. Sure, there was food and dancing, and the women dressed up if they wished, but besides that, it was fairly relaxed. Mustang had called together musicians to play for them, and had ordered the kind of wine that only the president of a country could get. Al, who could walk for much longer periods of time (though he still used a wheel chair most of the time), would be using a cane to help him walk. He was to rest often, and not dance too much- let alone stay out late.

And Al had pouted, like any teenager who did not like the dictions of his parents.

The event was not formal, nor was it required to bring a date. All in all, it was a simple gathering- especially considering some of the guests.

So it made little sense to Winry that she was so nervous about the whole thing. She paced, upstairs and alone, hands twisting together. The party was tomorrow. Her grandmother would be arriving soon- and while Winry was overjoyed at being able to finally see her grandmother again, she couldn't shake the anxiety that filled her. What was the big deal?

Sure, there would be dancing... and she would be in a dress... and with Ed...

Winry felt her face heat up, pressing her palms to her cheeks. _Don't think about it; don't think about it... _She thought to herself. It wasn't as if she hadn't danced with guys before. She had, a fair amount of times, too. Of course, it was an entirely different matter when she might just possibly be dancing with the guy she loved. Not that Ed would want to dance, though...

And on second thought, it really didn't matter if they danced. Winry would just be happy to be with him- to maybe actually _talk_ with him. It was something she hadn't been able to do during the past three months. They'd had conversations, sure- but Winry was never able to say what was really on her mind.

A knocked on the door broke her out of her thoughts.

"Winry?" It was Al's voice, slightly muffled through the door.

Winry took a deep breath, smiled, and walked over to the door. When she opened it, she frowned at Al as he leaned against the black cane in his hand. Letting him through the door, she said: "Al, you should've just called me if you wanted to come up the stairs! Or Ed would've helped you! You're not supposed to climb them on your own yet...!"

Al waved off her concern, settling himself comfortably on the bed. "Brother just left," Al shrugged. "The Col- er, Furher Mustang, wanted to speak with him about a few security issues for tomorrow."

"Oh." Winry said, twisting her hands together. "Well, you still should have asked me to help you, Al," She said lamely, dropping her hands at her sides. Al twiddled the cane in his fingers, eyeing her intently. Silence filled the room.

"So, Al..." Winry said with forced nonchalance. "Anything you wanted to talk about in particular...?"

Al gave her a _look_.

She winced a little. "Ah, it has to do with me... I see...." She mumbled.

Al shook his head. "It's not anything _bad_, Winry..." He paused, frowning. "I'm just not sure how I want to say it, exactly..."

"Just say it, Al. I won't be offended. Or hit you with a wrench." She added, smiling a little.

"Well... alright..." He took a deep breath, face set. "Winry, just kiss brother already."

Whatever she had been expecting, it hadn't been _that_. Her face went from pale to bright red in a millisecond, and she nearly fell over, knees suddenly unsteady. "Wha- wha-" She couldn't form a coherent sentence. She turned her head away in a desperate attempt to hide her furiously red face. "Wh- What do you mean, Al?"

Al looked quite amused. "Please, Winry. Give me a little credit. I'm not as thick-headed as brother is." He grinned at her, waiting for her face to return to its normal color.

Winry swallowed heavily, coming to sit beside him on the small bed. Her fingers braided themselves in the sheets. "It's... not that simple, Al..." She took a deep breath. "I mean, it's not as though I haven't _thought_ about it a bit..."

Al regarded her with a raised eyebrow. "A _bit_?" His voice was sarcastic.

Winry allowed her mind to wander for a moment, wondering who had taught Al sarcasm. Probably Ed. Though she had her own sarcastic moments as well, Ed was with him more often... She ignored his last statement, continuing. "I just... I don't really know how I can do it..." She admitted.

Al blinked. "You mean you don't know how to kiss someone? You've never-"

"That's _not_ what I meant." Winry shook her head. " Though, no, I've never really kissed anyone. Well, except when I was around twelve or so." Seeing Al's curious look, she quickly elaborated. "Well, I was curious, so I cornered some random boy... of course, at twelve, the idea wasn't _quite_ as appealing as it is now..." She blushed a little, and then drew her eyebrows together, suddenly angry. "And someone kissed _me_ once. At a festival in Resembool- I didn't even know his name. Worst part is, he was half-drunk, and was practically drooling on me- plus, he tried to _touch_ me..."

"He did?" Al looked both scandalized and mad.

"He didn't get away with it, don't worry." Winry smiled in satisfaction.

Al grinned at her. "I'll bet not." He paused. "So, please... clarify what you meant. I'm confused."

Winry bit her lip. "Why are you asking all this anyway?" Al gave her another look.

"Alright, alright! I just..." She sighed. "I just never seem to find the right time, and I can't work up the courage to do anything besides what we've _always_ done with each other- act like friends. Besides... it makes everything harder if you know there's a chance that whoever you want to kiss doesn't love you back..."

Al shook his head incredulously. "Winry, you're one of the bravest people I know, and-" He paused, and drew in a sharp breath. When he turned his face to her, his eyes were shining. "Did you just say...'love'?" He asked, voice dangerously near a squealing level.

Winry blushed heavily in response, looking at her knees.

Al made a loud noise of excitement, leaping up from the bed and tackling her in a hug. "I KNEW it!" He cried, bouncing up and down. "I knew it, but still, to hear you say it...!" He let go of her, grinning from ear to ear. "I'm so happy!"

Winry blinked at him, more than a little shocked at his reaction.

Al's face became serious again, sitting down a little wobbly on the bed. He shook his head with a small smile. "Winry, Winry. Sometimes, both you and brother can be so _dense_!" He winced as she shot him a glare. Putting his hands up hurriedly, he said- "Look, all I mean is that you don't see Ed's actions clearly. Maybe it's because I was with him all the time, because he doesn't seem to see _your_ actions clearly either. I know that there is a lot that you do for him, for us. What you don't seem to realize is just how much Ed does with _you_ in mind everyday." He laughed. "Trust me, it's obvious to anyone that pays attention. In no way does Ed just treat you like friend."

Al paused, and then went on in a quieter voice. "He loves you, Winry. I know he does. If you could've seen him, all these times when someone mentioned you, or put you in danger- when you became a hostage- he was so _worried_, Winry..."

"I know you don't take him for granted. But it's like you both have this affliction where you don't see the others' actions clearly! When Ed thought you had died...Winry, he was ready to kill our father, for bringing you here... he was _crying_, Winry. Neither of you seem to comprehend just how much you mean to each other."

Winry pressed her hands over her mouth. "Al- oh, I just..." She took a deep, gasping, breath. "I- I want to be with him- so much, I-" She pressed her hands over her heart, bending over, squeezing her eyes shut so that the tears would not fall. "It _hurts_," She said. "It hurts, and yet it feels so wonderful, I can't even... _begin_... to describe..."

Al put his arm around her, hugging her tightly with one hand. "Then you have to tell him, Winry." He said softly. "He loves you. He really, really, does."

Winry pressed her head against Al's withered chest, keeping her eyes tightly closed. When her breathing became normal again, she sat up, and smiled weakly at Al. "I know." She said. "It's hard, but I will do it. I have the time now."

Al smiled, but then gave her a hard look. "Tomorrow," He commanded. "Don't waste time waiting for the 'right moment'. Do it tomorrow."

Winry took a deep breath, feeling a knot inside of her tighten. The knot hurt, but made her unreasonably excited as well.

"Tomorrow," She agreed.

*(*(*(*)*)*)*

The crowd was thick. Winry stood on her tiptoes, trying to peer over the many heads of the now crowded train station. "Good luck spying Granny above all them," Ed smirked. "You might just be able to see her hair, though."

Winry turned around enough to glare at him, smacking him on the head. He winced, rubbing the sore part of his scalp and scowling at her. "What was that for?"

Rolling her eyes, Winry tried to make her way through the crowd. "That was for being rude," She scolded. "I don't suppose you can spot her, can you?"

Ed opened his mouth and then frowned. He glared hard at her. "Are you insinuating something?"

Winry rolled her eyes again, exasperated. "_No_, Ed. Just help me look for Granny, okay? Can't you part this crowd using your military authority or something?" Winry didn't much like him using his rank in the military for things like that, but she was starting to get a little anxious. She hadn't seen her grandmother in so long...

"Technically, I'm on temporary leave. At the moment, I have no authority." Ed shrugged, hands resting comfortably in his pockets. "And unless you want me to create a path with alchemy..."

Winry shook her head. "Just help me look, doofus. Her train should've arrived by now."

Sticking his tongue out at her, Ed helped her push their way through the thick crowd. Now that the danger seemed to have all but passed, those that had been evacuated or had left were returning in droves. They were surrounded by families embracing each other, separated lovers exchanging long kisses...

The sight made Ed think about a few things he really didn't want to think about at that moment- especially with Winry right there. He tried to ignore them, hiding his blush by peeking through the thick crowd of bodies. But he still found his eyes flicking back to the happy couple, trying to block out the images that came to his mind each time he looked.

He noticed Winry didn't seem able to keep herself from looking either. And- was it possible that her face was a bit redder?

A loud bark broke through the noise of the people around them, and both Ed and Winry jumped. A black and white blur ran forward, knocking Winry onto her butt. Something warm and wet brushed along her face, and she opened her eyes to meet black ones.

"Den!" Winry cried, wrapping her arms around the dog. The animal barked happily, licking her face and neck until Winry felt she was surely dripping with slobber. Laughing, she struggled to her feet as Den turned around, charging toward Ed.

"Whoa!" Ed barely kept his balance, patting the dog on the head. "Hey there, Den," he said, grinning. Den wagged her tail, licking his palm.

"That's probably not the hello you were expecting," Pinako's voice floated over from a few feet away. Winry whirled around to see her grandmother standing with full arms, a large suitcase propped up beside her.

"Grandma!" She cried, running forward and sweeping the old woman into a hug before she could do more than blink. In her happiness, Winry actually lifted her into the air, the suitcases falling on the ground. Setting her down, Winry grinned at her grandmother, hands twisting behind her back. Pinako smiled up at her, straightening her suddenly askew glasses.

"It's great to see you well, Winry." She frowned, and then smirked teasingly. "That's quite a grip you've got there..."

"That's why the wrenches she throws hurt so much," Ed said, coming up beside them- rubbing his head in memory, and smiling crookedly. "I think you got shorter, granny."

Pinako gave him a look with a beady eye. "Are you trying to tell me that you actually grew, bean?"

Ed scowled, bringing his face close to the old woman's. "What was that, hag?"

"You heard what I said, bean."

A vein seemed to be pulsing in Ed's forehead. Winry jumped between them before they started fist fighting. "_Ed_," She said crossly, trying not to smile at his antics. "Calm down before you cause an incident."

Ed growled something that sounded like threats, crossing his arms.

"Don't get your knickers in a twist, runt. Good to see some things never change." Pinako smirked. "Now be a good boy and help granny carry her luggage."

"Oooh!" Winry exclaimed, eyes suddenly sparkling. She cupped her cheeks in her palms, squealing in delight. "Granny, are those-" She took a deep breath. "Are those all the automail tools?!?"

Pinako grinned at her, hoisting a sizeable suitcase onto her shoulder. "You bet, Winry. I take it you want to make some modifications to your creation, right?" Winry nodded, picking up a suitcase as well, walking beside her grandmother and talking excitedly about her new designs.

Leaving Ed with at least three- make that four, he thought sourly- cases full of heavy automail equipment and parts.

*(*(*(*)*)*)*

He pushed his way through the dining room door (which happened to be on the second floor), panting. Winry looked around. "Oh, there you are, Ed," She said. "I was beginning to worry, it took you so long to come back from the car."

Ed stared at her for a moment. Then, without the slightest change of expression, he unceremoniously dropped all four suitcases he had been carrying, listening with faint satisfaction to the loud thumps as they landed. Winry shot him a glare.

"Ed!" She crossed her arms. "You don't know what's in there!"

"I know it's heavy- and I'm not your pack mule!" Ed tried to keep his eyes on her face. With her arms crossed like that, he was remembering what had happened before he had left for the promised day...

Damn it, now he was blushing.

Trying to hide his suddenly warm face; he turned his head, crossing his arms behind it, only hearing half of Winry's sentence.

"...not a pack mule. I just haven't seen Granny in a while, and got really excited. If I'd known she was bringing so much, I would've had Mr. Armstrong come and help."

Ed snorted, still blushing. Why couldn't he get that image from his mind? Not that he really wanted to, but _still_... "Armstrong could lift all the suitcases, and all of us, without breaking a sweat. Any of them probably could, actually." He shuddered, thinking of Olivier. Winry giggled.

"You're probably right."

Pinako came through the door that led to the kitchen, sticking a pipe in her mouth. "The case with Ed's arm is in there," She said, jerking her thumb at the partially open door. "I was right in thinking that I was carrying it. I left the leg back at home like you told me to." She stuck her hands into her pockets. "Do you need my help, or-"

"Hey, Granny," Al called from back in the kitchen. He hobbled out, leaning hard on the cane, smiling. "How about I show you around? I need to get more exercise for today anyway."

Pinako shrugged. "Probably a good idea. This place is even bigger inside than how it looks on the outside." Al laughed, and the old woman walked toward him, nodding as he explained where they were going. Before he disappeared around the corner, Winry was pretty sure that he sent her a sly grin and a wink.

She slapped a hand over her eyes, shaking her head.

"What's up?" Ed – who had obviously seen nothing – asked.

Winry removed her hand, smiling weakly. "Nothing, just thinking." Pulling her face into a mock stern expression, she pointed to the wooden chair she had pulled out from the dining table. "You know the drill," She commanded. "Sit."

Ed rolled his eyes, grumbling something that sounded like "I'm not a _dog_ either..."

Deciding that saying he technically was a 'dog'- as long as he called himself a state alchemist, anyway- wasn't a good idea, Winry merely raised her wrench threateningly.

Ed scowled, but made no further comment.

Winry tucked some hair behind her ear, striding into the kitchen, eyes momentarily blinded by sunlight shining from a window onto the gleaming countertops. Hoisting the 'brand new' arm she had made for Ed over three months before, she smiled a little, running her fingers over it fondly. Soon, she reflected wryly, she would probably have an even better model for him, and she felt proud that she could help him this way. He didn't need an automail leg anymore, but he still had an arm, and the idea that she was able to help him made her smile widen.

But then Winry remembered how he and Al had set out to get both of their original bodies back, and she nearly dropped the arm, stomach plummeting. Suddenly, she felt very sick.

In the end, Ed still hadn't gotten all he'd fought so hard to achieve. It wasn't fair, and worst of all, Winry thought it the worst kind of cruelty. She remembered all that she knew they had endured, and felt a rush of anger and sadness. She was no alchemist, but she did know of the law of 'equivalent exchange'. How could it not be enough after all that had happened to them? They had seen things that would make adults cringe in fear, and would probably give the brothers' nightmares for the rest of their lives. They had suffered more than enough for three lifetimes. Ed deserved to have his full body back too.

Winry realized that her eyes were filled with angry tears, and she wiped them away with her arm, the weight of the automail reminding her what she was holding- filling her with a deep sense of shame. She had no right to take pride in Ed being forced to have a fake arm that he didn't deserve. An arm that, though it allowed him to move and live somewhat normally, still caused him pain and had gotten him into dangerous situations more than once.

"Hey, Winry, you comin'?" Ed called from the next room.

Winry started, then looked down at the prosthetic in her arms. She had always loved automail- how it shined, how it was built, the simple complexity of how it worked. But in that moment she wanted nothing more than to throw her 'precious creation' to the ground, and tear it apart with her bare hands.

But she knew that act wouldn't make a difference. _Not a damn difference_, she thought bitterly. Even if she destroyed this arm, Ed would still need a new one. He would still need automail.

"Yeah, Ed. I'm coming." She pitched her voice as normally as she could, gritting her teeth and marching out into the next room, getting to work. Ed looked at her curiously when she came in, frowning a little at her closed expression. She avoided his eyes, knowing that if she looked into them, she wouldn't be able to hold it in.

Ed made regular talk while she was working, and Winry tried to respond normally, but knew that she wasn't doing a good job. Her voice sounded choked- almost dead.

Ed kept trying to get her full attention- why wasn't she looking at him, damn it?- and decided that getting a rise out of her might work best. "Okay Winry, what's up _your_ ass?"

"Oh, _thanks_, Ed," Winry said, slightly hysteric and bitterly sarcastic. "Sorry that I'm not _bubbling _with happiness." She still avoided his eyes. She could practically hear his eyebrows crease in worry. His flesh hand caught her arm firmly, but gently.

"Winry, what's wrong?" There was an edge to his voice. Fear and worry made his hand go tighter. When she didn't answer, his voice grew a little, sounding almost...desperate..."Winry, look at me, _please_."

She bit her lip, squeezing her eyes tightly shut, feeling the emotions rise within her, threatening to spill over. Slowly, she opened her eyes, and lifted her head to meet his gaze. His golden eyes were widened a little- still carefully guarding the full emotion in them to be released- but still showing quite clearly how upset and worried he was. Strength from his gaze seemed to flow within her, and she let out a breath she hadn't known she was holding.

"Ed... It's just..." Winry paused, and then said in a rush- "You didn't get your full body back and I couldn't help but think of what that must be like. You suffered so much, don't try to deny it, and it isn't fair, and-"

"Winry." Ed grabbed her shoulder firmly, turning her around so that she was facing him. His hand gripped her tightly, face inches from hers. "Winry... _that's_... what you were worried about...?" His voice dripped with wonder, and she looked up at him again, seeing a stunned expression on his face. He ducked his head, and suddenly he was shaking.

Winry felt her mouth drop open, eyes widening. He was that upset? All she could see was the top of his head, but she could hear suppressed sounds coming from him, like he was stopping himself from crying out. "Ed..."

He let go of her shoulder, lifting his head and raising his hand to cover his mouth, eyes squeezed shut. "Winry..." He rasped out, still shaking. A slight snort escaped him, and then a titter. His eyes snapped open and Winry saw that they were full of nothing but humor- humor and wonder. He lowered his hand, revealing a stunning grin- the likes of which she hadn't seen on his face in far too long.

"Winry... that's..." He seemed unable to form a coherent sentence while trying to mask his laughter.

It took a moment for Winry to gain control of herself. "Edward Elric, are you... _laughing_?"

Ed straightened, still smirking a little. "Yeah," He said easily. "I am."

"But..." Winry stared at him, shocked. "_Why?_"

"Because," He said, and his face was serious- not unhappy, but thoughtful, focused, wanting her to understand. "I really don't mind, and it's nothing for you to worry about." He leaned back in his chair, looking toward the high windows. "Honestly, Winry... in a lot of ways I'm lucky to even be alive, let alone have one of my limbs back."

"But still..." Winry looked at her hands. "It's not fair. You've had to suffer so much... and it's not right of me to take pride in giving you this fake arm that you don't deserve."

"Winry." Ed's voice was suddenly sharp, and she looked up, startled. His face was intense, eyes hard. "Don't you _ever_ say that. The automail you've given me has saved my life countless times. I wouldn't be here without it. Al wouldn't be here without it." His face softened a little. "Winry, every time I look at him, it's just..." He took a deep breath, leaning back, eyes closed. "Every time I see him using expressions or eating, or sleeping, I just-" He cut off, shaking his head, eyes squeezed tightly shut.

"I know." Winry said softly, and he looked up. "It's like that for me too." She smiled a little at him, eyes shining with tears that she would not let fall. Ed smiled crookedly back at her.

"Well," He said, face going serious once more. "Can you understand, then? How can I be unhappy, or even disappointed, when I am alive and my brother can sleep and eat again? My arm is a small price to pay for that. I don't even consider it a _price_, really."

"But... Ed..." Winry's voice was a whisper. "I understand, but... You can't really _want_ to wear automail. I know that it's painful..."

"Winry..." Ed paused, and then looked away. His hand grabbed at the back of his neck in apparent nervousness. "Winry... you put holes in yourself because of the gifts that Al and I gave you. So..." He took a deep breath, and Winry saw that he was blushing, refusing to look at her.

"Automail is something that you gave me..." He whispered. "How could I... _not_... want to wear it?"

Winry couldn't stifle the gasp that rose up her throat. Her hands went to her mouth, and she stared at him for a moment, his face still turned away.

Suddenly, she threw her arms around him, nearly pushing him off of the chair. "Ed..." She whispered. _I love you_, She thought. _I love you so much... _She didn't say anything else out loud though, and after a moment, Ed relaxed in her embrace, even leaned into her a little bit. She hugged him tighter, burying her face in his shoulder.

Ed knew that he was blushing. He wanted to ask her about what Hohenheim had said, but he couldn't get the words out. They sat on the back of his throat, waiting, held back by something that he couldn't name. Slowly, he raised his arm, wrapping it around her loosely. Nothing could describe the way that he felt right now. He hadn't known that it was possible to feel this way... but now that he felt it, he never wanted it to go away. It was something that seemed to rise within him- like it had always been there, but waiting, waiting until it was safe to admit that maybe...

_Maybe..._

...This... feeling... this place...Winry holding him this way... was something he wanted above almost all else.

They broke apart, and Ed dared to look at her, heart thudding in his ears and quickening even more to see that she was blushing a little as well.

He wanted to say it. Almost more than anything, he wanted to say it. But something held him back, and he didn't say anything. Winry held his gaze for a moment, and then said- so gently that his heart seemed to swell at the sound of it- "I'll finish working on your arm, then." He nodded, and forced his gaze to go to the window.

Winry wanted to tell him. She wanted to tell him so badly, that holding the words in her hurt her in a way that she couldn't name. But somehow, she couldn't get the words out. Something was holding her back. She remembered her promise to Al with sudden fierceness. She _would_ tell him tomorrow. She would. She decided to change the subject.

"What did Mr. Mustang want to tell you about the security? You were gone for a while..."

Ed snorted, tapping his flesh hand on the table. "Security? Hah. He just wanted to brag about the kind of wine he's gotten for tomorrow." He said the word 'tomorrow' with slight distaste. Winry laughed a little. Ed's expression suddenly changed, and his body became tense, face dark.

"What is it?" Winry asked, worried at his suddenly dark mood.

"That bastard Mustang... I cornered him." Ed's voice was fierce. "He didn't know, he honestly _didn't know_... and now he can't do anything about it."

"About what?"

Ed turned his eyes to her, and they shocked her with their anger. "Scar," He hissed.

Winry blanched, dipping her head, not saying anything.

"Scar murdered your parents, Winry. They helped him, and he murdered them. Mustang should never have let him get away." His voice came out through clenched teeth. "I told him what happened, but now it's probably too late!"

Winry was silent for a long moment. "You... told him...?"

Ed calmed a little. "Yeah. I'm... I'm sorry to bring this up, Winry, but, man, if Mustang had known and done that anyway... I probably would have throttled him...."

She fiddled with his arm, now ready to attach it. Her knuckles were white from gripping the metal so hard.

"Winry...?"

She took a deep breath, and then raised her head, staring softly at him.

"Thank you, Ed." She said quietly, smiling just a little, trying to let the sudden swelling in her heart show in her eyes. "Thank you."

*(*(*(*)*)*)*

"_...Can I ask you something?"_

"_Of course." Riza turned a little to look at her, hand paused at the rack. _

_Winry smiled nervously. "What's it like?" She whispered, eyes glittering in excitement._

_Riza raised an eyebrow, and then smiled a little. "Being engaged? Or being engaged to Roy Mustang?" She turned back to the clothing rack in front of her. _

_Winry giggled. "Both, actually."_

_Riza chuckled. "Heard the rumors, have you? Or is it all just things Edward's told you?"_

"_Once again, a little of both. I don't believe the rumors- well, not all of them anyway –but... well, he is the Furher now..." Winry trailed off. _

"_You'd be surprised just how many of those rumors are false. Most of them played up an aspect of Roy's nature to a degree that really doesn't exist. All men have a certain amount of that aspect.. .most are either shy about it, or extremely boisterous. I won't deny that Roy's a flirt..." She chuckled fondly. _

"_But he's not as bad as people make him out to be," Winry finished. The older woman nodded. Winry paused, and then continued. "That's not really what I meant, though. I never really believed most of those rumors anyway."_

"_What is it like to be engaged, and to Roy Mustang?" Riza frowned for a moment, searching for the right words. "Well... it's not what I expected. Things like this rarely are. For me, we fight both less than I thought we would, and in some cases more. All of the things that frustrate me about him nearly drive me up the wall, but at the same time they keep me amused, surprised, and... happy, I think." She lifted a heavy purple dress and then discarded it with a shake of her head. "In many ways it's not all that different than it was before, between us. Now, we just no longer have to pretend, and we both know without a doubt how the other feels. Mostly... it just feels... right. Better, simpler, happier, than anything that I've felt in a long time." She turned to smile at the younger girl. "Does that answer your question?"_

_Winry nodded, and then bit her lip, cocking her head to one side. "...'without a doubt'?" She repeated. "He said that he loves you?" Winry had figured that he had, since they were getting married after all. _

"_No, actually. He hasn't. I haven't said it to him, either."_

"_What?" Winry stared at her. "But then..."_

"_We both knew... for a long time, how the other felt. Of course, there were the occasional doubts, as we had to pretend otherwise, but all of that really erased the second that he asked me to marry him." Riza laughed suddenly. "He told me later that he was actually afraid that I would say no! Or shoot him, for that matter..." Her smile softened. "I couldn't believe how nervous he was..."_

"_They're cute when they're nervous, huh?" Winry smiled a little dreamily. _

_Riza laughed softly. "Yes, they are." Her face grew more serious. "I won't deny that when he says it, I will be happy... but I will not be sad if he doesn't say it either. I know, he knows, and that's all that matters."_

_Winry nodded, biting her lip harder. "I see. This one's pretty," She said in an effort to distract her thoughts, touching a deep red dress that tied together at the back. _

_Riza nodded. "It is." She grabbed it, moving her fingers lightly over the surface of the fabric. "Winry," She said quietly. "That doesn't mean that you don't have to tell Edward, or that he doesn't have to tell you."_

_Winry jerked a little, blushing, but not saying anything._

"_Winry, Roy and I are older than you. We're getting married. We have no reason to doubt. But if I were your age... I would probably feel about the same. In fact, I did, once. I've known Roy almost all my life. My father taught him alchemy, you know. I've loved him ever since that time... after my father died, I didn't see him for a few years. When I did, it was at Ishval." Her voice darkened a little. "I expected myself to be mad at him, to no longer feel the same... but when I looked at him, I saw the same cocky, idealistic, frustrating, kind man that I loved, buried underneath the weight of his sorrow. I knew that my feelings had not changed, anymore than his core personality had. Still, I did not tell him- at least, not in so many words. 'I would follow you into hell if you asked me'... that's what I said." Riza paused, and then smiled at the younger girl that was staring at her in rapt attention. _

"_I didn't need to say it after that. All of our actions pretty much spoke for us. Even under the doubts I sometimes felt... In my heart, I knew. Winry, while I think you know the answer as well, it is remarkably hard to find once you start searching for it. It can take a while, especially under hardship. But you are not me, nor is Ed Roy, despite how similar they sometimes are. Ed has had no experience with love other than the familial kind, unlike Roy. That was one of the truer rumors." She smirked a little, and then shook her head, putting her hand lightly on Winry's shoulder. "You're a little young to get married, and if you don't say something now, then the doubts that both of you have will eat away at you, and one day you might find yourselves saying things you'll regret. Consciously, Ed probably has no idea how you feel. He can be a bit... ignorant, sometimes. Deep down, he probably does know, but sometimes we act and speak without thinking clearly." _

_Riza squeezed Winry's shoulder. "Tell him, or you'll regret it. Eventually, you'll get to the point that you won't need to hear it- it will be a fact of life, like knowing that you need to breathe. But it takes time to get there, and you'll save yourself a lot of hardship if you say it now."_

_Winry nodded. "Yes, I..." she cleared her throat. "Thank you."_

_Riza smiled. "Think nothing of it. Try this one on. It's the right size." She handed Winry a pure white dress that tied together at the back of the neck. Winry took the dress, marveling at how soft it was, going to one of the changing rooms. Riza waited just outside._

"_What about you?" Winry asked, slipping on the dress. "You're the Furher's fiancé- don't you need some kind of dazzling dress in order to make an entrance?"_

"_I already have one. Roy hasn't even seen it yet- his opinion on what I should get wasn't helping. He said something along the lines of being fine with me just wearing my underclothes..."_

_Winry snorted, shaking her head, and then frowned. "Why did you come here on your day off then? I thought you needed to get a dress too." She stepped out from behind the curtain._

_Riza shrugged, smiling. "I thought that I could help you out- in more ways than one. I like you, Winry. I think it's safe to say that we're friends." Her smile widened, and she looked her up and down in satisfaction. "You look great. It's elegant, but..."_

"_Simple," Winry finished, smiling down at herself. "I know. I like simple things." She came forward, pausing before the older woman, a little hesitant. Then she jumped forward, wrapping her arms around Riza in a tight hug._

"_Thank you," She said softly._

_Riza started, and then hugged her back lightly. "You're welcome, Winry. Want to be one of the bridesmaids?"_

_Winry nodded, wondering if it was possible for her heart to feel any lighter- if it could swell any more. _

"Winry?" Pinako's voice startled the girl out of her reverie, and she shook her head, smiling, turning away from the window.

"Yes, grandma?"

Pinako paused, hands behind her back. Her pipe stuck up, and she seemed to chew on it thoughtfully. "Seems I underestimated you all these years, Winry." She said quietly. "Why is it all you kids show more courage and strength than adults?" She shook her head. "You never cease to surprise me, you, or those two boys. Your automail is amazing, and gets better every time you work on it. You're brave and strong and kind. I always feared that I wasn't raising you how your parents would have wanted... but I guess somewhere along the line I must've done something right." She smiled. "You've grown a lot over these past years, grown into more than I'd ever hoped you'd be... and I just wanted to tell you..." Pinako paused, and then came closer, looking up at her granddaughter.

"I'm proud of you, Winry. Prouder than I can ever say." Her voice was quiet, and she reached up, squeezing Winry's arm. "And I know that if they were here, your parents would feel the same."

Winry sank to her knees, speechless, giving her grandmother a tight hug that was returned just as fiercely.

"Goodnight." Pinako said, stepping away. "You'll want to get some sleep for tomorrow."

Winry nodded, wiping at her slightly damp eyes. "Goodnight, granny."

"Hmmm." Pinako paused at the door. "I just had a thought." Her eyes twinkled mischievously. "With you and Ed being so strong... just imagine what your kids' gonna be like!" She smirked.

"Granny...!"

*(*(*(*)*)*)*

"Is it _supposed_ to snow this much in Central?"

"I don't see why you're complaining, Ed." Al rolled his eyes. "It's not like the party is outside."

"Besides," Winry added. "It looks pretty. It hardly snows in Resembool..."

"Pfft." Ed snorted, crossing his arms. "Well, as I'm currently not in cold-weather automail, the idea of even going outside for a second and freezing my ports isn't all that appealing. And people aren't going to want to come if it's a blizzard outside. Not that I'd mind, but..."

"Oh, Ed," Winry sighed, shaking her head, the few strands that escaped her pinned-up hair flicking about her cheeks, distracting him from his irritation. "Come on, don't be such a loner," Winry grabbed his arm. "Go mingle!" She dragged him toward the door, where people were starting to pile in.

"'Mingle'? With who? No one's here yet!"

"What am I, sliced toast?" Havoc demanded, wheeling his way through the door, cigarette in his mouth, grinning as he brushed snow off of his shoulders.

"You get over here too, Al!" Winry called, motioning for him to come over. Al smiled, hobbling forward on his cane to shake Havoc's hand. Seeing his brother's pace, Ed immediately stepped forward to support him, but Al waved him off impatiently.

"Brother, let me learn to walk! I won't get better if you're always helping me."

"I just don't want you to tire yourself out, Al," Ed fretted, pouting. Havoc slapped him on the arm in a friendly way, holding out his other hand to Al.

"Nothin' wrong with helping him out, but he really does need to do the majority of the work by himself now," Havoc said. "Your brother's more than strong enough to do it, Ed. How are ya, Al?"

"I know that," Ed protested in a mutter. Winry rolled her eyes.

"I'm great, sir." Al grinned, shaking Havoc's hand enthusiastically.

"Glad to hear it. You're certainly looking better." Havoc winked. "Get taken care of by a hot nurse?" His eyes flicked to Winry and he winked again.

Al blushed, and then smiled. "Well, I suppose that depends on how you look at my brother..." He grinned wickedly while Ed spluttered, Havoc and Winry roaring with laughter.

"I don't believe we've really met," Havoc said, holding out his hand to Winry. "Miss...Winry Rockbell, correct?" Winry nodded, taking his hand.

"Just Winry. And you're... Mr. Havoc, right?"

Havoc chuckled. "Never had anyone call me 'Mister' before. The name's Jean. And I think we'd better get out of the way before we're trampled by cold party-goers." The doorway did seem to be filled with a lot of people that were indeed shivering. Most looked only vaguely familiar. Two black-haired women spotted them as they moved out of the way, hurrying over.

"Edward! Alphonse!" Maria Ross called, dragging another woman with wavy black hair. They stopped short in front of them, and before Ed or Al could do anything but grin, Maria had enveloped them both in a hug. "It's good to see you both," She said fervently, stepping back and smiling. "Al, you didn't tell me you were so handsome. Too bad he's too young for you Rebecca," She teased the other black-haired woman beside her.

Rebecca chuckled while Al blushed, grinning.

"First you hit me, then you hug me," Ed shook his head, smiling. "Should I expect this to become a pattern, Lt. Ross?"

Maria rolled her eyes, shaking Havoc's hand, then Winry's. "We met at the hospital, right?" Winry nodded. "It's nice to see you again."

"You as well." Maria nodded at them all.

"Hi," Rebecca said, holding out her hand. "I'm a friend of Riza's. My name's Rebecca, and you two must be the Elric brothers?" At their nods, she smiled, shaking their hands in turn.

"Winry Rockbell, I've known Ed and Al since childhood," Winry said, shaking the woman's hand. "And I've become friends with Ms. Riza. It's nice to meet you."

"You too." Rebecca's eyes met Havoc. "Well, you I know," She said, eyeing him thoughtfully. "Hm. You clean up pretty good."

Havoc grinned at her crookedly, resituating his cigarette. "You don't look so bad yourself," He teased. Rebecca looked rather flattered.

"Hey, speaking of Hawkeye, anyone seen her or Mustang yet?" Ed asked, looking around.

"He probably got... _held up_... with Riza," Rebecca smirked, nudging Maria.

"Well, they_ are_ getting married," She pointed out, laughing.

"Wait." Ed's eyes went wide. "You mean they're-"

"Who knows?" Rebecca shrugged. "But as it's Mustang we're talking about..." She exchanged looks full of meaning with Maria and Winry, who laughed.

Ed blushed, putting a hand over his eyes. "Oh man, did _not_ need those mental pictures..."

"I don't know if I'd mind as far as Riza is concerned," Havoc said thoughtfully. "However, he needs to hurry it up, I gotta ask him a few things."

"Like what?" Ed asked, ignoring Winry's whispered: "It's none of your business, Ed!"

Havoc's face became serious. "Like whether or not it's true that Mrs. Bradley has been imprisoned."

"What?!?" Ed and Al demanded. "Where'd you hear _that_?" Maria and Rebecca asked.

"The old Furher's wife?" Winry frowned. "Why would they imprison her? I thought she had nothing to do with what her husband or son did?"

"She didn't," Ed insisted. "She's human, for starters. Didn't have any clue about her husband and son." He curled his lip in evident distaste. "Mustang's a bastard, but I can't see him--"

"Maybe he didn't, Ed." Havoc held up his hands. "But whether she knew or not, she loved her husband and son. Who knows what she could do because of that? You two hear anything?" He asked Maria and Rebecca. They shook their heads.

"Hmm," Havoc scratched his chin. "Probably just a rumor, then. Much harder to get this kind of information when you're not in the military. The rumors about Scar were certainly-" He stopped at the looks on Ed and Al's faces. "What?"

Ed's eyes flicked to Winry, who was looking at the ground, eyebrows furrowed. "Nevermind," He said roughly. "Let's not-"

"Scar killed my parents." Winry said quietly. "They were doctors in the Ishval war, that treated both Ishvalans and Amestrins. Scar was one of their patients."

"Winry," Al began, while Ed touched her shoulder, eyes deep and sad- worried. Winry smiled at them slightly, shaking her head while the adults beside her grew quiet at her words. "It's alright, guys. I don't like thinking about it, but it's not a secret. They deserve to understand." She jerked her head toward the three adults who were looking at her in concerned surprise.

"Does Mustang know?" Havoc demanded, hand clamped tight on his wheelchair.

"He does now," Ed muttered darkly. "I cornered him about it, actually." He crossed his arms. "He says that there's not a whole lot he can do now, as he turned over Scar to the Ishvalans, but he also said that they will most definitely hear about this."

"That's good. A crime like that can't go unpunished." Maria said quietly, but fiercely. She laid a hand on Winry's shoulder. "I'm sorry," She said sincerely.

Winry shook her head. "Thank you for saying that." She smiled a little, voice strained and eyes tight.

"Well, what have we here?" A voice demanded.

They all jumped, turning to see Izumi Curtis, hands on her hips, her husband Sig beside her. She grinned, clapping her hands just a _little_ hard on Ed and Al's backs, making them double over. "You're getting out of shape, boys." She announced. "Al, you have an excuse. Ed, if I was still your teacher, I would punish you." She winked.

Ed and Al looked at each other, rubbing their shoulders and grinning a little.

"Good to see you, boys," Sig rumbled, nodding at them.

"Hah, you too." Ed shoved his hands into his pockets.

Introductions were made, hands shaken all around.

"Winry!" Izumi beamed. "Pound some sense into Ed's head with your wrench yet?"

Winry gave a small smile. "Perhaps just a little," she said. "It's nice to see you both again." Sig nodded at her.

"Oh, that reminds me," Izumi snapped her fingers. "Ed, Al, I have a message for you from Hienkel and Darius. They passed through Dublith a few weeks ago. They wanted to know if Winry was available to fit automail here soon."

"Oh," Ed said. "Darius' hand still not quite ready?"

"Aren't they some of those Chimeras that helped fight Bradley?" Havoc asked. "What happened to them? They didn't have automail at Mustang's speech."

"Train crash." Al said. "Fuhrer Mustang gave them positions in the military, and they were on their way somewhere for a mission about two months ago. Darius lost his hand- nearly his whole arm, actually. He met with a mechanic in Rush Valley, and goes there to get full use of his hand every few weeks. Most of the hotels there were destroyed by some Bradley supporters, so they had no place to stay. Hienkel's eye was destroyed by some rubble, so they kind of help each other out. But isn't it a bit soon to refit Darius's automail?"

Izumi shrugged. "From what they said, the engineer just had too many people to work on as of late. The engineer's name was... Garfiel, I think. He had a trainee, but apparently she surpassed him and had other things to..." She paused. "Oh. That was you, Winry?"

Winry nodded. "I called him a while back, asking to go back there in a while, once Al was completely healed, but he told me that he'd taught me everything he knew, and that I needed to enjoy my life. He even said that I could probably open my own shop somewhere...." She blushed a little. "I felt so bad for leaving all of my customers behind, but then they found out I was here and said that they wouldn't mind taking a trip to get repairs." She shook her head. "I offered to go to them, but they flat out told me not to! They said that they knew what I was doing meant a lot to me, and that it wasn't all that out of their way to come up here every once in a while."

A trumpet-like sound exploded from the entrance, and they all turned, staring at the large open doors, through which Roy Mustang and Riza Hawkeye (arm in arm) walked casually into the throng of people, all of whom watched them respectfully.

Roy wore the standard military uniform, and he was hard-pressed to downplay his triumphant smirk- especially when he looked at Riza. Her dress was red, strapless, going to her ankles, a long slit running up the middle of it, revealing her legs as she walked. Her hair was down, falling over her shoulders gracefully.

Conspicuously, a bright ring glittered on her finger. She wore no other jewelry.

As they passed, Roy shot them a wink, and Riza smiled.

They continued down the hall of people, and then stopped. Even from far away, Winry could see some kind of tattoo on Riza's back, barely showing over the red fabric of the back of the dress. Before she could do more than exchange looks with Ed and Al, Roy raised his hand toward the band in the far corner, moving his palm up in a signal to them. All at once, the music started up, and Roy pulled Riza closer to him, spinning her around.

Winry swore that she saw Riza roll her eyes, and then smile, leaning her head forward against him.

The music was slow, and people began to pair off and dance. Soon, the whole room was full of swirling couples. Giving a slight wave to Ed and Al as Izumi began to dance with her husband, Winry made her way through the dancing crowd, toward the back of the room, where the bigger windows and glass patio were. Faint roses were etched into the glass, and Winry opened the patio door, stepping out into the greenhouse-like room made of glass. Lightly, she touched her fingertips to the glass closest to the snow outside, feeling the cold wash up through her fingertips like it was alive.

"Winry?" Ed's voice made her jump.

She turned to see him standing in the open doorway, one hand on the glass door, sleeves rolled up. His eyebrows furrowed. "You okay?" He asked.

Winry nodded, smiling a little. "I like parties, but I just wanted to watch the snow for a while. And it was..." She paused. "...Getting a little stuffy in there." She knew that he realized she was talking about Scar by the way his eyes widened in understanding.

He really did look good. Well, he pretty much always looked good, but he looked even better when he made an effort. It wasn't as though he was wearing a suit or anything- he wore his usual black pants, and a red button-up shirt, the sleeves rolled to the elbows, showing his automail arm. His hair was tied back in a tight ponytail- Winry noticed that he rarely wore his hair in a braid anymore, not that she minded, for the look suited him. Ed frowned, closing the sliding glass door, the music and laughter from the other room becoming muted.

He walked closer to her, lowering his voice. "I'm sorry, Winry."

She hadn't made a huge effort to dress up. No makeup (at least as far as Ed could tell) and her hair was up in some high bun, a few strands hanging down to brush her cheeks and ears. The dress she wore was simple- white as the snow outside, going to her knees with a slight flare, held on her shoulders by a strap that tied at the back of her neck, revealing bare shoulder bones and the pale skin of her back, all the way down to her waist. She wore no jewelry, save for her earrings. She was beautiful. She was really always beautiful, but something about the way the soft moonlight was hitting her, the way the snow fell behind the glass, the way the dress fit her body- something about it made it almost otherworldly...

Winry stared at him in surprise, eyebrows knitting together. "What for, Ed?"

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. He moved so that he was beside her, ducking his head a little. "That Scar was brought up, that he's not..." His fists clenched. "Getting what he deserves."

"It's not your fault, Ed. And it's alright, really."

"No, it's not, Winry-"

"Yes, Ed." The fierceness of her voice stops his cold. "It is."

"What... do you mean...?"

Winry didn't look at him; instead she stared out the glass at the falling snow. It fell much more gently now. "I traveled with him for a little while, Ed... and I know that I will never be able to forget what he did, let alone forgive him. But even if he had been sentenced to death, or put into prison, there's a part of me that still wouldn't be satisfied, you know?" Her voice rose, cutting into the air, harsh and slightly hysteric. "I would want to make him die, and then I would want him to be alive again just so that he could die and look into my eyes as it happened, so that he would never forget what he'd done. And I'd want that to happen again and again and again until he felt some _portion_ of the pain it caused me-" Her fists clenched tightly, and she tucked them under her arms. Her voice choked. She took a deep breath, and then calmed herself.

"But I've had time to think about what happened to him. His brother was killed, his whole family killed, and I realize that he's felt my pain and perhaps more. In some ways it's different, because I was so young, but even though my parents are gone... at least I still had grandma, and both you and Al. And I realize... that maybe Mr. Mustang was right. Maybe the worst punishment he can get is to have to live with what he's done, because..."

"Do you mean to tell me that you don't want him to pay for what he's done?" Ed's voice came out too fast, before he could form the words fully in his head.

Winry turned toward him so fast she was a blur. "Don't you _dare_ say that," She hissed, eyes spitting the kind of fire that leaves scars. "Don't you dare say that I don't want him to pay for what he's done- not just to me, but to others! Don't you dare say that, Edward Elric!" Her voice rose to a shout. _"Do you have any idea how hard it is for me to admit that he's not evil?!?!?"_

Her chest heaved, and tears left trails down her face. "He was not right in his revenge, but I can't say that he was wrong either. If I'd lost all that he has, I don't know what I would've done. I don't think I could've lived." Her voice was low, and this was somehow more terrifying than her yelling, it ripped from her throat as something that she wished desperately wasn't true, but knew in her heart that it was.

"He's not evil," Winry said quietly, and here her voice was breaking. "I know he's not evil but I also know he's not good. I don't know what I want to happen to him because somehow it will never be enough, and somehow it will always be too much, and..." She couldn't stop the tears from falling, thick and fast. She raised her fists to her eyes, gasping and choking on tears that hurt from some deep place inside of her.

"Winry..." Ed's voice was a little desperate, and he came forward a little, unsure of what to do. "Winry, don't... I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking, I... oh, damn it..." He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration.

A wet giggle startled him. He looked over to see Winry peering at him from red eyes. She smiled a little- a weak smile, an only-somewhat happy smile. "You make me want to strangle you sometimes..." She whispered, hiccupping a little. "And then you turn around and make me smile just by being you... and all in the same breath..." Her smile grew wider, and she wiped a few stray tears away. "How do you do that?

Ed blushed a little, and then shrugged. "Luck?"

Winry shook her head. "No... it's more than that. You just being you is enough to make me smile everyday, no matter how much I feel like I can't move on." She smiled more brightly. "You're wonderful, you know that?"

Ed's eyes flashed to her and then away, Hohenheim's words echoing in his mind. _"...she said: 'Edward Elric is the most wonderful person that I know...'_

"Ed... can I ask you something?" Winry's voice was hesitant.

"Wh-" His mouth was suddenly very dry. He cleared his throat and tried again. "What?"

"Will you... hug me, please?" Her eyes looked at him- big and bright and blue and all the things he loved about her- because that's what this feeling was, he realized. Love. He loved her, loved her like he had never imagined being able to love anyone besides his family.

And maybe, just maybe, she loved him too.

It took a moment for his voice to work correctly. "Winry..." He said softly, clearing his throat to try and make it less deep, less rough. "Winry, you don't- you don't have to ask about something like that..." His voice was so quiet, he wasn't sure that she could hear.

But then she was in his arms, and the compression on his heart- the doubt, the fear, and the sadness- seemed to somehow float away, and suddenly it was only him and Winry, her hair under his nose and her face pressed close to him, arms around him tight.

And Ed realized that he never wanted to let go.

His chest felt funny. Like before, it had been ready to crack apart but as soon as she hugged him, she pressed all the pieces back together.

"...Why did you come?"

Ed shifted a little, brought back from the strength of his epiphany. "The truth?" He asked.

Winry raised he eyebrows, though she knew he couldn't see it. "Why would I want anything besides else?"

"Well, because you might get mad at first..." He sighed. "All right. The truth is, Al convinced me to come."

Oh. That was what he meant. She was a bit disappointed, but it did explain why Al wasn't there too. "I see." Her voice was quiet.

Ed winced. "Not like that! I was- well, you seemed upset and I thought you wanted to be alone 'cause you left, but then Al said you left because you wanted me to follow you-"

"He was partly right. It's been a while since we've had a real conversation."

Ed paused, though his heartbeat quickened. "...Really?" It came out as no more than a whisper.

Winry nodded against him.

"Ah, well, I guess it's a good thing I listened, huh?"

Winry couldn't help rolling her eyes, laughing a little. A sudden thought struck her and she stepped back, hand sliding to meet his, pulling him toward the glass door that led out into the cold night. She put her other hand on the door, ready to push it aside.

"Winry! What are you doing?!?! It's freezing out there!"

She shushed him. "It's pretty, and I want to stand in it. I also want you to come with me. And before you say it-" She cut across the half-hearted protest that came from his mouth "-you know, and _I_ know that your ports aren't going to freeze here unless you're out there for hours. Just a little while, please?"

Before he could say anything, she had opened the door, and dragged him outside into a wall of cold.

_Does this mean I'm pretty much whipped?_ Ed wondered to himself, shivering.

Winry dropped his hand, bending over and slipping off her shoes.

"Winry!" Ed squawked. "What're you-?"

"Relax, Ed. Haven't you ever wanted to walk barefoot in the snow?" She smiled up at him, running forward and spreading her arms out as though she would suddenly be able to flap them and fly away.

"Burr." She said. "Even colder than I thought it would be." She jumped from foot to foot and then started spinning, dress twirling around her.

And any protest Ed had died in his throat as he watched her.

She spun, arm held out above her, palms spread toward the sky, head thrown back. Gently, hundreds of little snowflakes fell down to brush her skin and hair, catching on her and somehow staying, glittering on the gold strands. Winry reached up, untying her air and letting it fall, swaying, down her back in a waterfall of silky gold. She turned, dress flaring out, grinning at him, eyes bright.

He couldn't help but smile back.

Snowflakes sat on her eyelashes. Suddenly, she raced forward, grabbing his hand and pulling him along, laughing, hair trailing behind her, face flushed and skin pink from the cold, fingers tight and warm around his.

Ed found himself laughing with her- throwing his head back, letting out great whoops that seemed to echo all around them. Winy cocked her head at him, slowing a little and panting. The smile she gave made his breath catch.

"You should smile and laugh more often," She said. "They're beautiful things." She blushed suddenly, one hand flying to cover her mouth. She slipped, twisting away as she fell toward the ground, pulling Ed with her.

Ed pulled her toward him, making it so that he would take the brunt of the fall.

"Ooof!" Well, it wasn't that bad of a fall, for sure. The snow softened it a bit, though Winry falling on his stomach and knocking the wind out of him didn't help.

"You okay?" She asked, rising up on her elbows, wincing and shivering. "Thanks for the softer landing. Sorry if I squashed you."

"I'm fine." It was true- as if she'd be able to squash him anyway. "You?"

"Well, no broken bones, thank goodness. I've had enough of those to last a lifetime." Winry pulled herself up, sitting back, looking toward the sky, hair falling down her back. Ed propped himself up on his elbows, watching her. The scars left over from her injuries stood out against her cold, flushed skin, dotting along her arms. Faint, but still there.

Winry cocked her head to one side, listening, and then stood up, offering her hand to him. "Get up," She said, smiling. Ed took her hand, letting himself be pulled to his feet.

"I don't like that look in your eyes," He said, backing up a little.

Winry grinned, shaking her head and laughing silently. Then she moved closer to him, making him freeze in place. She grabbed his hands, guiding them over and setting them on the appropriate places on her body. Then she placed her hands lightly on him as well.

"Will you dance with me?" She whispered. "Please? I know you know how."

Ed swallowed, unable to do anything except mutter an: "Okay."

And just like that, they were dancing.

The music was faint, not too loud, sometimes barely reaching them. Winry felt sure that her toes were frozen, but she couldn't bring herself to say anything. _Well_, she thought ruefully, _at least I won't feel it if he steps on my feet._ But she really didn't have to worry about that- Ed knew how to dance. They both knew. His mom, and her parents, had taught them when they were kids.

Memories of their laughter floated through Winry's mind, and for a moment she felt sad. But then Ed turned a little, a look of concentration on his face, and Winry let herself relax, let go of her sadness, if only for a little while.

They didn't dance perfectly. They were both out of practice, and Ed's flesh leg sometimes seemed to give out on him, and much of the time it was all they could do to hold each other up, laughing so hard that they nearly fell over again. When Ed half-heartedly tried to walk away, Winry only dragged him back, wagging her finger at him.

"Ah- ah-ah," She said. "I'm not done dancing with you yet."

After a while, she was thinking that they would have to stop soon, as they were both panting and she could no longer feel her toes. But Ed spun her out, and her dress flared around her, palm going up toward the sky. The world seemed to halt as she drew in again, stopping, not continuing the dance, merely stopping in front of him, curled in his arms, one hand on his chest, the other intertwined with his hand. She looked up at him, breath misting softly in front of her. Ed's eyes were very soft. Wide, surprised, almost shy, a slight blush coating his cheeks.

"You're taller than me," Winry whispered.

Ed blinked, and then straightened a little. His mouth opened, but he seemed unable to say anything.

Winry couldn't help but laugh. "You honestly didn't notice? You've been taller than me since you left for the Promised Day. I knew you would be someday..."

Ed gave her an unmistakable grin- cocky, smirking. "Oh, really?"

She nodded. "You just react to teasing so much, it's funny to watch you. I guess it's a part of who you are... just one of the things that I..." She caught herself.

Ed furrowed his eyebrows. "That you...?"

Winry cleared her throat, heart pounding. She had promised to say it today... and she had almost blurted it out right there... "Ed," She began, looking down a little. "There's... something that I need to tell you, face to face."

"What is it?" His voice had lowered to match hers.

"Ed..." She took a deep breath. "Ed, the thing is, I..." She brought her face closer to him, so close that their noses were almost touching. "I..."

"What...?" Ed pressed, voice very quiet, heart pounding almost audibly.

"I..."

"Well, well, well, aren't we cozy?" A lilting voice drifted out from behind Winry, from the shadow of a tree. They jumped apart, Ed automatically tensing, putting himself in front of Winry, a heavy scowl on his face. He knew that voice.

"Damn," He hissed. "Kimblee, you bastard, you're supposed to be dead."

A man stepped out of the shadows, long hair messy and around his face, wearing a suit that was covered with rips. A wild look danced in his eyes. "Nice to see you too, Fullmetal." He tipped an imaginary hat to them. "You as well, Miss Rockbell." His gaze lingered on her.

Ed's fists clenched. "Get the hell out of here, Kimblee. We don't need to involve others in this." He angled himself as Kimblee came toward them casually, baring his hands for them to see. The transmutation circles were dirty, but still very visible.

"On the contrary, Fullmetal. Involving civilians is one of the things I love best. More screams that way." He smiled, revealing a blood red philosophers stone in his teeth before swallowing it.

Ed's eyes flicked around. He knew that fighting Kimblee would be bad here, where all these people would get hurt. If he stepped forward, Kimblee could just use the stone to blow up some buildings. Or worse, Al, Winry, and the partygoers inside...

Before they could do anything, a loud explosion sounded from the other side of the city, the ground rumbling.

Kimblee tilted his head back. "Oooooh, how delightful! I wonder how great the screams will sound here...?" He grinned.

Ed growled, charging forward. "Run, Winry!"

"Not so fast, Fullmetal," Kimblee raised his hands and Ed froze, staring at the transmutation circles pointing directly at Winry.

Winry knew she couldn't move. Her heart pounded in her ears, breathing uneven. Ed could die! Everyone here could die... they needed to alert Mustang and the others somehow...

Belatedly, she realized that the music wasn't playing from inside anymore.

Her face calmed. She threw her head back, took a deep breath, and screamed.

*(*(*(*)*)*)*

Roy smirked as he twirled Riza in his arms.

She smiled up at him, nodding to Rebecca who waved at her from across the room before entering a conversation with Havoc.

"I think Al's beginning to realize that being young, handsome, and heroically injured, can be a very pleasurable experience," Roy whispered to her, breath tickling her ear.

Riza's eyes found Al, who was indeed surrounded by girls. He looked more than a little embarrassed, and just a tad smug. She couldn't help but laugh.

"It's a good thing that little Xingese girl Mei isn't here anymore... she seems to worship the ground Al walks on..." Roy continued. "Ah... that brings back memories..." He winked at her. Without doing anything other than giving her most charming smile, Riza leaned in, whispering: "You do still realize that I have a gun, don't you?"

Roy chuckled. "And I did give you permission to shoot me anytime, didn't I? I suppose I ought to be careful then."

"Indeed, _sir._" She smiled, and then winced. Her shoes were killing her.

"You alright?"

Riza nodded. "Fine." She didn't have to dance the whole night after all. And the ensemble had been worth it, to see Roy's face when she came out with it on...The memory brought a smile to her face again.

As they passed by Havoc and Rebecca, she heard a few snippets of Havoc's tale from the Promised Day- how he had defended the hospital he was in (and all the others over radio), by making barricades, and using his family's ammunition shop to keep soldiers/homunculi at bay. Rebecca seemed rather impressed, though she spotted it easily when he tried to make it more exciting than it actually was.

"Hmmm." Roy's voice jerked her out of her thoughts. His eyes were on Izumi and her husband. "I wouldn't have minded having _her_ as an alchemy teacher..."

Riza rolled her eyes. "And here I told Winry that you're not as bad as everyone makes you out to be."

Roy grinned, and then leaned closer, kissing her temple lightly. "If I thought this offended you, or that you thought me to be serious, I would never make a comment like that again- and you know it. Speaking of Miss Rockbell, she and Fullmetal seem to have vanished. Wonder what that means?" He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Riza laughed a little. "Well, for both of their sakes, I hope it's going well. Winry's got a lot to say to him."

"If I know Edward, he's got just as much to say to her." Roy pointed out.

Without warning, the ground shook.

People paused in their dancing, all sound seemed to disintegrate. The band immediately ceased playing, and Roy looked around the room with sharp eyes, frowning. Riza found Rebecca's eyes, who was now standing by Havoc, Maria Ross, and Denny Brosch. Al hobbled away from the girls around him, looking around frantically. Roy turned back to her.

"What do you-"

Before he could say anything else, a piercing scream sounded from right outside.

This time, Al's horrified eyes found Riza's.

"Winry," He whispered.

*(*(*(*)*)*)*

"Damn," Kimblee said.

The second his eyes moved and he was distracted, Ed charged forward, transmuting his automail hand into a blade, swinging it in a high arc.

Kimblee ducked, raising his hands to blow up something else-

A combination of Ed's transmuted arm, and a flying rock, hit him in the stomach.

Kimblee doubled over long enough for Ed to cut deep into his shoulder, staining the snow around them red.

"Edward!" Alex Armstrong called. "Get out of the way!" He prepared another transmutation.

Ed ducked as a rock went sailing over his head, just missing Kimblee this time.

Something red flashed through the air, and a tree that Kimblee had been swinging on just a split second before exploded. Ed looked back long enough to see Mustang, fingers ready to snap, Izumi right behind him, Riza right next to him holding a gun, Alex Armstrong running toward them, and even Al clapping his hands together.

Ed jumped out of the way, shouting. "DAMN IT, AL, DON'T GET IN THIS FIGHT!"

The ground rose beneath him, dislodging Kimblee for a moment. His eyes flashed up, and around all the people that were screaming ran from the house.

"No more games," He whispered. And before any of them could do more than charge forward, Kimblee spread his arms.

And the world exploded.

Ed felt himself being thrown backward, seeing through the thick dust Kimblee jumping the fence, clutching his injured arm. Screams echoed in his ears and Ed found himself buried under some rubble.

For a moment, he blacked out.

A little light shone through the rubble. He pushed his hand toward it, peeling back the wood and other debris in his way. Nothing felt broken, but a shallow cut ran down his cheek, dripping down his chin.

All around him, people were digging themselves out of piles of rubble.

"Someone call a doctor!"

"Where is he, where did he go?"

"HELP!"

"Someone help me lift his off of her!"

Ed stumbled forward, landing on his knees. "Al..." He gasped. "Winry..." He clambered to his feet, staring around blindly, running into the masses of people. Some tried to call him back.

"Ed, don't worry, the Fuhrer's taking care of Kimblee, we're going after him-"

"AL!" Ed screamed. "WINRY!"

"Ed!" Riza Hawkeye caught his arm. "Edward, calm down. They're fine, look." She pointed toward a small group of people, through which he could see Winry, her dress torn, standing next to Al, who looked severely shaken but unharmed. Ed nodded toward Riza, quickly seeing that she was far more scratched up than he, running toward Al and Winry.

Winry's blue eyes, wide and frightened, found him first. "Ed!" Al looked toward him, relief showing clearly on his face.

Ed stopped short in front of them, panting, nodding toward them both, then flicking his head about. "Where's Mustang? Kimblee jumped over the fence- and where's teacher?"

A single gunshot stopped them from answering. Everyone turned to see Mustang, gun in one hand, standing on a pile of rubble.

"Look for survivors," he called. "An ambulance is on its way. I'm going to take care of Kimblee. Fullmetal, I know you're on leave, but I want you with me. Miss Curtis, I cannot command you but you are free to come if you wish. Strongarm, you come as well. Hohenheim, I don't know if you're here, but if you are, we could use you. Everyone else, help dig these people out, and-"

Another loud explosion cut him off. He cursed, and then ran toward the fence. "Get medical attention! Hawkeye, you're in charge in my absence! A car's waiting for us. Alchemists, come on!" He put one hand on the fence, flipping himself over it.

Everyone that he called began to follow, while the others looked toward Riza's stricken, angry, face.

Ed paid them no attention, turning to go.

"Brother!" Al caught his arm. "I'm coming with you!"

Ed turned on him so fast, Al staggered back a few steps. "No, Al, you're not! Stay here! I have to go!"

Al's voice rose as he clung to his brother's arm.

Winry stared at them. She couldn't say it now, not when he had to leave. There was no time for anything- not even a goodbye. She caught Al's arm, pulling him back, hurrying forward and touching her fingertips to Ed's face.

"See you," She whispered. Before he could say anything, she leaned forward, pressing her lips to his cheek.

Ed stared at them both for a moment, his carefully controlled expression melting away. He knew that he didn't have time for this, but he couldn't help staring at them, the two most important people in the world to him- people he had sworn to himself to never leave behind again.

He knew very well that there was a possibility he wouldn't come back alive. Some things were out of his control- but he wasn't about to let it happen. He would come back. He had to come back. There would be too many waiting for him.

Winry saw Ed's face, which had twisted suddenly as though he had a terrible stomach ache- saw his eyes take them both in as things he knew he might not see for a while- or ever again. But she couldn't let herself think that way. Ed would come back, he had to come back. She smiled a little at him, and his eyes focused on her, showing for a moment such a vulnerability that she nearly gasped at the sight of it. Then his gaze hardened, and he stared at both of them.

"See you," He said, turning and running away, not looking back.

And just like that, he was gone.

Winry fell back against Alphonse, knowing that he couldn't support her, because here they supported each other as they sank to the ground. All around them people called for help, but they didn't move. They just sat there, a cold far more painful than that of the snow settling in. They shook against each other, and Winry could feel Al's tears falling. They stung as they hit her shoulder. They shook and clung to each other as they stared after him- stared after one of the most important people in their world disappearing before their eyes.

And Winry didn't cry. Though she felt as though all the pieces of her- that Ed had somehow pushed together- were breaking again. She didn't cry. She just stared forward, at the broken fence. She stared past all the people around her that she knew and cared about, stared past the piles of rubble and the fires that were being put out.

She sat there, staring, Al by her side, until the ground stopped rumbling and people were being carried off to the hospital, until the sky grew so dark that not even the moon could be seen. She sat there until Riza Hawkeye ordered some men in the military to carry her and Al to someplace safe. She didn't let them carry them too far apart from each other- for she felt sure that if she couldn't cling to Al right now, then she really would fall apart.

And she still continued to stare out the window of Gracia's rebuilt house, staring out the dark window with Al by her side, toward the outskirts of the city. Riza told her that Kimblee was far beyond the city now, and that they wouldn't be able to see or feel anything from the fights that would ensue. Winry stared out the window as rain began to fall, washing away the fire and the rubble, washing away everything. She squeezed Al's hand, and he squeezed back, leaning against her. She stared out the window, knowing that neither her nor Al would fall asleep. She closed her eyes, remembering the last image of him she had, of his back as he ran headlong into danger- as he always did.

_I love you, Ed._

_(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*)*)*)*)*)*)*)*)*)*)*)*)_

_

* * *

_Well, there ya go.

Originally, I had something else written for the end. No, Ed still left, but I had Winry crying and screaming as soon as he was gone. It was longer, and perhaps more emotional, but for all intents and purposes I think I like this one more. That's just me, however.

Oh, and some of you may have noticed that I added stuff about side characters. As this story is no longer current with the manga, I thought it would be good to throw in some manga elements. Mrs. Bradley was one of them. (Speaking of current manga, despite the very large cliffhanger, there was a Ling/Ran Fan implication that I really enjoyed even though it was short) And some of you may have gathered the slight Havox/Rebecca hints. Yes, I am a fan of them now. The last manga chapter converted me. The thing is, I never see them paired together, but I think it would work. She's always talking about finding a good man, and Havoc's always saying something about finding a good girl. I've seen Havoc paired with everyone from Martel to Gracia to OC's, even Riza. While the first two I don't really have issues with, teh last one bugs me. Big time. Large Royai fan here. Not as much Roy/Rizaness in this chapter as I wanted there to be, but I can make it up the next two chapters...

I was worried about the emphasis I put on Winry being so desperate to tell Ed that she loves him, and I hope I explained why, though it is not necaccary for Roy and Riza, I think it is for Ed/Winry. Oh, and a lot of you were looking forward to EdWin kisses: I promise you, they will kiss. But, for now, you'll have to settle for the quick cheek peck Winry gave him. Sorry. :)

Reviews:

obsidianlight: Yeah, I love Roy's proposal. Most people write about their wedding, not him actually proposing...Thank you! Glad you enjoyed:)

ArtificialRed: Not too many people vote for Leverage, but counting yours I believe that's two. I will do all of them eventually, but I'm begining to realize which one I'll do next...Anyway, glad you liked, and thanks for reviewing! :) My inspiration is wackadoodle though, so this may change.

Sakura22222: Thank you! Yeah, so many people are down on Winry, but she's so awesome! I hope the fluff wasn't too much in this chapter...I think people that like the FMA movie are crazy. :) Thanks!

Took-Baggins: Most people seem to like that one. I'm glad you loved Roy's proposal. I wrote it on a whim, and I really like how it turned out!

CreativebutLazy: Yeah, maybe it's kind of lame what I did with the arm, I dunno. *Shrug* But, I really wanted this convo with Winry and Ran Fan, and as soon as Ed said her arm wasn't working right...I know, Roy's proposal. I love it. Is it bad for an author to love their own stuff? XD Hmm...crap...well, if I knew the military ranks, Armstrong would probably have a promotion. I think Scar will die too. Of course, I could be wrong and then he will end up being the only main character that survivies...God, THAT'S a horrible thought...Thanks for the review!

alchemichelper101: Soon, my young padawan, soon...XD Thank you, glad you like!

Larxenethefly: I laughed at the part with Armstrong too. :) I think Ed needs to have that song from 'The Little Mermaid' (Kiss the Girl) played around him until he gets the idea. :) Thank you!

S J Smith: Thank you! Yep, Kimblee's back. I wish he wasn't...

YourFavoritePlushie: Thank you! Everyone seems to have liked Roy's proposal, which is good. :) I hope you enjoyed this chapter, as well as the 'unexpected arrival'. Or, rather, I don't suppose you liked that too much, huh...condisering...oh well. XD

AnimeFallingStar: Yep, Royai proposal. I'm glad you liked it so much! I know, I made it sort of obvious. I love all those pairings too (obviously).

xxCelestialStarxx: Thank you! I love Roy's proposal as well. Ohh, you've played some good ones. VIII is a really good one. Nine is great too, and who doesn't love 7? I'm a major Cloud/Aerith fan. ^^And I've written stories for all of those except twelve. Check 'em out, if you're interested. :)

Arden Anam: Glad you like! Everyone loves the proposal, I feel like there's an echo in here. :) Eh, I like AlMei, but that's just me. :)

Wow, a lot of reviews this time! Oh, if you didn't vote last time, please do so this time! And, I need two things from all of you: One, an 'Alchemist Name' for Al. I don't want to mooch off of anyone else, and I can't think of anything...and Two, a girl name and a boy name that will be Ed and Winry's kids in one of my future stories. I have a working name for the girl, (Sarah) but I really don't want to go with that one, and I have no clue for the boy...Please, not Trisha. I can use that for middle names, but I would also like to use Nina for a middle name...

Oh, and I have that Ed/Winry video I was talking about made. It's my first manga vid, so I'm a bit nervous. It's to So Close from Enchanted, and here's the URL (If you don't have an account, comments here would make my day!): h t t p : / / w w w . y o u t u b e . c o m / w a t c h ? v = 9 T E o 1 V T b J Q Q & f e a t u r e = c h a n n e l _ p a g e

Make the obvious changes. ;)

Next chapter preview:

A Turn of the Tide: All the powerful Alchemists race to catch Kimblee before he destroys more. Will they get help from Hohenheim, or will it be too late? Back in Central, those left behind struggle to pick up the pieces. Winry and Riza have a heart to heart, and a letter from Mei arrives. But when you have to bury your friends, nothing seems right. Will the alchemists return alive?

'Till next time! Reviews make me smile inside, and write faster!

~AerithHeartilly


	10. A Turn of the Tide

Hello!

Sakura, words cannot describe how sorry I am. Seriously, the offer for a story request still stands. Happy, very very belated birthday.

If it counts for anything, the reason this is so late is: 1, because of length, and 2, because I re-wrote the beginning so many times.

Thanks as always to my beta, please-knock.

I do not own FMA, but chapter 95 needs to come out now. ^^

* * *

Chapter Nine

A Turn of the Tide

"_Love is as much of an object as an obsession, everybody wants it, everybody seeks it, but few ever achieve it. Those who do will cherish it, be lost in it, and among all, never... __**never**__ forget it_." _~Curtis Judalet_

The ground rumbled. Broken down buildings, gutted sidewalks, and falling debris marked the road that a car speeded down. Faint screams sounded in the air, sirens roaring in the distance.

"Shit!" Ed hissed. "He's disappeared!"

"Can't this thing go any faster?!?" Izumi demanded, even as they harshly went over a bump, causing them all to jerk forward in their seats.

Breda, who was driving, shouted back at her: "Dammit, this is going as fast as it can!" As he spoke, they sharply turned a corner, nearly toppling onto one side before the car righted itself, speeding forward again.

"Where could he be going?" Alex Armstrong wondered, hunched over a little in the car.

"Head toward the train station!" Roy Mustang commanded, eyebrows slanted angrily. "He wants to get out of the city!"

"Why the hell is he running out toward the train station?!" Ed asked. "If the bastard wanted to, couldn't he just blow up the whole city?"

"He probably would, if his arm wasn't injured," Armstrong said. "And he still might, if he can find a place to hide long enough..." He trailed off, and the others shared grim glances.

"He's probably laying a trap for us!" Izumi punched her seat angrily, teeth gritting.

"No," Mustang said suddenly. "He's not. But he might try to pick us off if we're in the car, so as soon as we're close enough, Breda, you are to turn this car back and head deeper into the city." He glared hard at the other man in the seat next to him, who set his mouth in a grim line, nodding. But he seemed unable to hold in his thoughts.

"Sir!" He exclaimed. "You shouldn't be here, you're the Fuhrer-"

"I may be Fuhrer, Breda, but I am also a state alchemist. I'm one of the only ones here that specializes in long-range attacks." Mustang's voice was firm, final. "I can help them."

"But sir, if you die-"

"If I die then someone will replace me, and they'll be just as capable!" Mustang thundered. "The only way I will die is if I give up, and that is not going to happen!"

Breda clearly wanted to argue more, but only clenched his hands tighter on the wheel. "Understood, sir."

"Good."

"What makes you think he isn't laying a trap?" Armstrong asked, wincing as his head bumped on the roof of the car.

"Because he doesn't have time, and he's injured. He wants to get out of here, far enough away so that he can catch us off guard... or maybe draw us to another city..." Roy trailed off, arms crossed tightly over his chest. "He wants to kill me and FullMetal- probably Armstrong too. He wants to kill us personally, so that he can make sure we're really dead."

No one said anything for a moment. Roy reached forward suddenly, snagging the radio and holding it to his mouth. His other hand twisted the dial. "Come in, Central! This is Fuhrer Mustang, do you read me?!"

There was a second of silence, and then a fizzing sound. "Sir, yes sir! This is Sergeant Williams speaking, sir! Sir, there are multiple fires throughout the city, and most of sector five has been destroyed-"

Roy cut him off. "Sergeant, I need you to get the times of departure for the trains heading east, through the town of Liesenburg! Find them now!"

"S-sir, yes sir, right away, sir!" There were sounds of shouting in the background, Sergeant Williams demanding that the times for the train departure be brought to him.

"Liesenburg? That small town way out east?" Izumi demanded. "Why there?"

"Hmm..." Armstrong muttered, eyebrows creasing. His eyes widened. "Isn't that where-"

"Doctor Marcoh! That's where he was hiding from the military under that 'Mauro' alias!" Ed realized. "He quit the military and went back there! Kimblee's heading for Marcoh!"

Roy nodded. "Exactly." His voice was grim.

"Shit!" Ed slammed his flesh fist on his knee. "You don't even know the worst of it, Mustang! Doctor Marcoh might still have a philosopher's stone!"

For a moment, the car swerved wildly, as everyone turned to stare at him, but before they could say anything, Sergeant Williams's voice issued from the radio. Breda straightened the car hurriedly.

"Sir! I've just received a report that a train is being hijacked as we speak! We got a brief radio from the conductor before we lost them, half the station's been blown up-"

"Fuck!" Roy hissed. "Williams, is there still an intact train at the station?"

There was a slight pause, and then- "Yes, there is, sir!

Roy nodded. "Thank you, Sergeant." His mouth was a thin line. "Riza Hawkeye is in charge during my absence. Get available units to the fires, and the train station immediately! We need that remaining train!"

"Copy that, sir, I'll get on it immediately!

"Thank you. I'll contact Central again as soon as I can, over and out."

Without waiting for a response, he slammed the radio on the hook, rubbing his temples with his hands. "How can he still have the stone?" Roy asked, running his hands down his face.

"When I went there with ma- er, Colonel Armstrong, Marcoh showed us the stone he had! He might've destroyed it by now, or at least gotten rid of it, but-"

"There's still that chance." Armstrong finished for him. Ed nodded. "Plus, Kimblee already has a stone of his own. And he might be able to convince Marcoh to heal his arm with the proper motivation."

Roy nodded, straightening up.

"Sir?" Breda asked, his hands tight on the wheel.

Roy exhaled heavily. "Breda, I want you to lead the soldiers that will be cleaning up here. Disregard my previous order, and help get things under control at the station. Then..." He hesitated for the smallest of moments. "Don't let Riza come after me. Tell her to stay here- and that's an order." He gave a bleak smile. "I think she's already mad at me, that much more won't make too big of a difference." His smile faded as the car pulled a sharp turn and stopped, right in front of the train station.

Izumi, Ed, and Roy were out of the car before it slowed completely, with Breda and Armstrong right behind them. Sirens filled the air and screams echoed all around.

Ed gritted his teeth. Kimblee was gone, but so many were still in danger from the fires and crumbling buildings, not to mention the people on the train Kimblee had just hijacked. At least Al and Winry are safe, he told himself.

The train station, always packed with people, had been nearly deserted. Some were still running away, while others were sitting and sobbing on the ground, while a severely shaken-looking officer spoke to them coaxingly. She jumped into a salute when she saw Roy.

"S-Sir!" She gasped.

Roy sprinted past her. "Reinforcements are on the way!" He called, jumping down onto the tracks, heading toward a slightly smoking train. Ed caught up with him, Izumi and Armstrong on his heels. Behind them, he heard the sound of Breda issuing orders, of more sirens ringing throughout the city.

They scrambled into the front car, Armstrong uncoupling their car from the others.

"Does anyone here know how to drive a train?" Roy demanded in frustration, running a hand through his hair and staring at the levers in front of him.

"How hard can it be to drive?! It's on a track!" Ed shouted back.

"Oh, get _out_ of my way!" Izumi shoved the men aside, muttering something about useless military men. She pulled back a long black lever, and adjusted a few knobs. Her fingers pulled on a shorter lever to her right. "Mustang, give us some flames!"

Roy straightened and snapped, a fire roaring in the grate in front of them.

"Alright, boys," Izumi said, a wicked gleam in her eyes and a smirk on her face. "Let's see how fast this puppy can go."

(*(*(*(*)*)*)*)

Riza wouldn't let herself fall to her knees, no matter how much her body was shaking. He shouldn't have left- _He's the Fuhrer, dammit!_ -But there was no time. She took a deep breath.

"Everyone!" She called, voice ringing out, not nearly as loud as the screaming or the sirens. "Those not injured- start digging people out of this rubble!" Many turned their faces toward her- beseeching, pleading. Her eyes darted around, landing on faces that she knew. "Lt. Ross-" The black-haired woman snapped into a salute. "Once everyone has been dug out and taken to the hospital, form a team to go to one of the fires. They need all the help they can get. Rebecca, take half of Lt. Ross's group to another fire. I'm needed at Central Command."

She needed a car. There was no time to walk. She had to leave. In Roy's absence, they looked to her. _In that idiot's absence, I'm in charge._

She needed to command, no matter how much she also wanted to dig these people out. Priorities. The whole city needed her help, not just her friends and the people she knew at the Armstrong estate.

"Ma'am!" One of the guards for the party (and a whole lot of good _they_ had done) stopped in front of her, saluting. "There's a number of cars in the back, some should still be in one piece." He was panting, and tossed her a large ring of keys. "We were all given these, just in case! The keys you'll need will be on there!" Riza nodded at him, catching the keys and gripping them tightly, turning and running toward the back of what was left of the house.

She jumped over a fallen pillar, nearly stumbling over a bit of broken wall, squeezing past the remains of some sort of countertop. Her breath hissed through her teeth, dress tearing even more, the gun clamped in her other hand uncomfortably cold on her skin-

There! A tire! The metal structure of a car! Hidden behind a crumbling wall.

Her hands scraped at the heavy stone. She moved behind it, pushing with all of her strength, the heels of her shoes snapping off. With a growl of frustration, she kicked them off, letting her feet sink into the dirty, muddied, snow. Her toes latched into the ground, and she pushed again. The wall fell forward easily. Blowing strands of hair out of her face, Riza moved to the back, bending down and pushing more debris out of the way. She needed as clear a path as she could get. There was no time.

Behind her, there were shouts, screams, sirens shattering the air. The wind smelled of smoke and some of the snow that still quietly fell was blackened by ash. Her toes were numb, and she hurtled herself forward, fingers moving easily through the keys, trying each in the lock on the door. Her heart pounded.

She had to get to Central Command.

Finally, the sixth key fit in, and she turned it hurriedly, swinging the door open so violently she half expected it to fly off its hinges, before she slid herself into the car. After some fumbling with the ignition, she backed up, turning the car so quickly it skidded in the snow and mud.

"Go!" She shouted to herself, slamming down her numb foot and speeding forward.

There was no time.

As she neared Central Command, she passed at least four fires. She wanted to stop and help them, but she knew that she needed to get to Central Command more. She twisted the wheel violently, the car skidding in front of the tall stone building. She shoved the door open, sprinting to the front doors. People ran out as she ran past, many tripping as they saw her. And what a sight it would be! The Fuhrer's future wife, running up the steps to Central Command in a ruined dress and mud-slicked bare feet.

Riza pushed open the doors. Everyone stopped to stare at her. She drew herself up, mouth a thin line. All at the same time, they swarmed toward her.

"A train was hijacked...!"

"The Furher left Lt. Breda in charge at the station..."

"He reported that they're on their way to Liesenburg, that Kimblee's after Dr. Marcoh!"

"There's at least five fires throughout the city, two of which are in the slums!"

Riza Hawkeye took a deep breath. In the Fuhrer's absence, she was in charge.

And there was no time.

She commanded. As the sun started to rise, the fires were put out. Many were in the hospital. They'd had no direct word from Roy.

Many were dead.

Vato Falman and Kain Fuery were in the hospital: critically injured, survival pending.

Gracia Hughes was at home with her daughter, perfectly fine, having not gone to the party in the first place. Winry Rockbell and Alphonse Elric were in her care. Both were physically fine. Winry's grandmother, Pinako Rockbell, was a little scratched up, but already helping at the hospital.

Jean Havoc had a head injury, but was otherwise fine.

She was told that Sig Curtis was a big help in digging people out of the rubble.

There were eighty casualties. Thirty deaths, fifteen in critical condition.

But more came in by the hour. The most came from the slums, where they had the least tools available to aid them in the event of a fire. That had been changing, but the slums were still poorly equipped. None had been ready for their homes to explode.

She was told that there would be many small funerals. If the Fuhrer had not returned, she would give a mass Eulogy next week. If he returned, he would give it.

If he returned.

But he would return. She hated the way they said 'if.' Perhaps they only meant 'if he hasn't returned by then...,' but she still hated it.

"Stupid man..." She hissed. _Stupid man for leaving when he is the Fuhrer._

Everyone had tried to contact Dr. Marcoh, with no success. Either he was out, or Kimblee had gotten to him already.

In any case, there was no word. No radio transmission. She had contacted all the military commands, letting them know of Kimblee's attack. But there was little anyone could do.

In truth, the alchemists that were chasing him were their best hope.

Riza sighed, unclenching her fists. There was still much to do.

_Stupid man for making me worry._

(*(*(*(*)*)*)*)

Her body was very warm, but her neck and face were freezing. She shivered a little, bringing the blanket up a little more, curling her legs inward. She was only half awake, and felt as if she ought to be getting up, but she was too comfortable to rise on her own.

A gentle hand pressed against her shoulder. "Winry," A voice whispered. "Winry, wake up..."

She stirred a little, craning her neck and opening her eyes a crack. "Ed...?" She mumbled sleepily.

A heavy sigh reached her. "No, dear. It's me, Mrs. Hughes. But I think you ought to get up now... I made some eggs for you and Alphonse, but he doesn't want to eat... he's still so skinny though, so maybe you can convince him... ?"

A sudden wakefulness filled Winry and she sat bolt upright, ice seeming to have filled her veins as everything that had happened came back to her. She moved her eyes up to stare at Mrs. Hughes with somewhat blank eyes. She said nothing for several moments.

"...Winry?" Gracia asked in concern.

Winry blinked, and then finally spoke. "Al... won't eat?" Gracia shook her head. Winry nodded, standing up. The white dress she had been wearing to the party was ripped and bloodied, and it swayed around her legs as she stood, facing the door, hair dancing around her frame. "He needs to eat," she said slowly, walking toward the door.

Gracia listened to the sound of the young girl going down the stairs, and sighed. She knew that expression, that walk. It was the walk she herself had worn, when Maes had gone to Ishval. They hadn't been married then, but it hardly mattered. She loved him. And when loved ones left you behind, with promises that could be broken, and no surety that they couldn't be killed, it created in you a brokenness – a shattered mind and heart. Even if you firmly believed, or made yourself believe, that they would return, the fact remained that they could be hurt, and when they returned they would be changed. They would've seen harsh truths, been saddened and harmed in such a way that perhaps they would never heal.

Being left behind brought out determination and patience. But it also wore you down, with heavy chains on the heart.

Gracia sighed again, following the young girl down the stairs.

Al was sitting on the sofa, cane resting nearby, legs curled up to his chest, a blanket around his shoulders. Winry was kneeling in front of him, a full plate of eggs in her hands. "Al," she said quietly. "You need to eat."

He didn't say anything for a moment. "...I'm not hungry."

"Al," she insisted. Her voice didn't rise in volume – if anything, it grew quieter – but the way she spoke his name at that moment made him look down at her.

"Please eat, Al. You can't just sit here."

"I wasn't going to." His voice was cool – not rude or cold, but matter-of-fact. He stared hard at her, mouth set in a grim line.

Winry cocked her head to one side, and her eyelids lowered a little, and she gave a very, very small smile, nodding. She stood, and sat beside him, setting the plate down so that it was on both of their laps. "I'll share it with you," she said, beginning to eat.

Al reached for the food, hesitating for a moment before picking up some of the scrambled eggs, and pushing them to his lips. They said nothing, and Gracia sighed, walking up to her daughter's room, where she was probably playing with her dollhouse.

Down below, Winry and Al finished their food in silence.

Winry stood, walking toward the kitchen, hesitating for a moment before she went around the corner. When she returned, she sat beside him again, not saying anything. The heels of her hands dug into the soft pillows of the couch, and she leaned back a little, closing her eyes.

Al bent his head, shaking hands coming together.

They said nothing else, both staring out the window. Winry knew that the look on Al's face was the same as the one on her own. He was completely stricken, and trying to hide it. He was worried sick, pissed off, and scared beyond all reason. The sound of running feet on the stairs made them both turn their heads.

"Winry!" A little voice cried. "Al!" Elysia ran toward them, jumping up on their laps before they could do more than stare in surprise. The little girl bounced on their laps, chatting at top speed. It had been a long time since they'd seen her properly. Winry moved her hand over the top of Elysia's head, smoothing back her bangs. Hesitantly, Al's hand came up as well.

"Honey," Gracia said, coming over to stand just behind her daughter. "Why don't you go get your coloring things? Winry and Al are rather tired..."

"Oh..." Elysia pouted for a moment. "Okay, mama..." She hopped off of their laps, skipping over to a far corner of the room, dragging over stacks of paper and pencils. She plopped down on the floor, humming to herself.

"Winry," Gracia began. "Al... Riza Hawkeye called to let you know that if there was any news, you would hear about it immediately, okay?" She spoke softly, a little hesitantly, almost as if she were visiting them on their sickbed.

Winry slowly turned her head up toward the older woman, eyes unfathomable. Her fingers curled, gripping the edge of the couch tightly, as though afraid she would fall off. Finally, she dipped her head in a nod. "Thank you, Gracia," she said quietly. Al merely nodded his head, not even glancing up, staring at Elysia. Her knees were tucked underneath her, and her hand made big circular motions for the drawing that she was doing. Winry straightened suddenly. "Where's my grandmother?!?" She demanded. Al turned his head so quickly, Gracia was half surprised that she didn't hear it snap.

She smiled. "You grandmother is fine, Winry. A couple of scratches, but nothing else. She's helping at the hospital right now, and wanted me to tell you that when you feel up to it, you're welcome to join her."

Winry nodded. "I will, in a minute. I'll need to change out of my clothes first."

The older woman smiled. "I can find you some clothes, and the shower is upstairs if you want to use it." Gracia hesitated, and then turned, going into the kitchen.

Winry let out a deep breath, turning back so that she was facing the window, and Elysia. Her hands hooked together, clasping tightly. After a moment, she slid her hands away from the other, and slowly placed one hand on Al's own hand. He didn't say anything. He merely continued to watch Elysia, who was now drawing something that resembled the ears of some animal on the paper. She continued to hum, oblivious to the two teenagers watching her.

Winry's other hand clenched, and then relaxed. She raised her head. "Hey, Elysia," she said suddenly. She tilted her head to one side, a small smile on her face. The little girl looked up from her drawing curiously. Winry continued, "Do you mind if we join you?"

Elysia gave a smile that seemed to go from ear to ear. "Nope! Draw with me!" She patted the space next to her, pushing a few pencils and papers towards them.

Al stared, wide-eyed, mouth partly open, still not looking away from the little girl.

Winry turned toward him, and gave a larger smile, eyes very soft. "Come on, Al" she said quietly, standing and tugging on his hand. "Come draw with us."

Al turned his eyes toward her, and he could see the silent pain in her eyes. He licked his lips, and cleared his dry throat.

"Okay," he said.

(*(*(*(*)*)*)*)

Izumi leaned her head out the window, squinting. Her hair blew back behind her, smacking against the metal sill. "How fast are we going?" she called back into the train car.

"Faster than the average train!" Roy called to her. She ducked back in, shaking her head and smoothing her hair.

"But still not fast enough," Ed finished, crossing his arms. "Dammit!" He stomped his foot; "I hate waiting to get somewhere when it's already too late as it is!"

Roy ran a hand over his face, clenching his fists. "Much as I hate to say it, I agree with you, FullMetal. We need to go faster, but I don't know if this train can... !"

Armstrong ground his fists together. "Perhaps my alchemy can be of assistance here!" Before anyone else could say anything, he slammed his fists onto the floor.

Ed, Roy, and Izumi exchanged glances.

The floor rippled and energy seemed to crackle in the air, traveling out through the train to the outside. Ed fell backward, grabbing a lever to keep balance. Immediately, a sharp whistle sounded, Ed dropping the lever and falling against the wall. Izumi straightened herself and Roy braced himself against the wall just as the train lurched forward, sending all three stumbling again.

"What did you do?!?" Ed demanded, grasping the windowpane.

"It was merely a part of the technique that has been passed down the Armstrong line for generations!" Armstrong rumbled, bracing himself against the back wall.

"You have a technique for making trains go faster?!?" Izumi shouted.

Before Alex could go into the details of the many techniques passed down the Armstrong line, Ed glanced out the window and did a double take. "FUCK!" He screamed. "Mustang! That's Liesenburg up ahead! It's destroyed!"

Roy's eyes widened, and he struggled to the window, looking to where Ed pointed.

Black curling smoke greeted them, faint black remains and gutted buildings scattered on the ground.

He slammed his fist on the windowsill. "No! Dammit, Kimblee!"

"Do you think he's still there?" Armstrong asked from back inside.

"Well..." Ed said, leaning back inside. He looked up at them, gold eyes flashing. "We're about to find out."

Roy nodded. "Get ready, everyone. Kimblee might be anywhere. We'll need to see if we can find any survivors. If the train he hijacked is still intact and the people alive, one of us will need to get them to safety." He looked back toward the window, expression dark, mouth turned down heavily at the corners. "If he did that, it seems as if he healed himself just fine. He could probably get us now, if he wanted. But if we stop the train we'd be practically waiting for him to attack us, assuming he's still here. Then again, I bet he wants to see our faces while he attacks us. Kimblee takes great joy in that kind of thing."

Izumi nodded, eyebrows close together, expression hard. She slapped her fist into her hand. "Kimblee is going down," she said slowly, menacingly.

Ed straightened suddenly, frowning. "What's that sound?"

He faced the window again, peeking around it toward the back of the train car. His hair whipped him in the face. His mouth dropped open. "It's another train car!" he shouted. Indeed, a train car that had obviously been alchemically changed was behind them, closing in fast.

"What?" The other three said, gathering around him and attempting to see out the window. Armstrong stared above their heads, the other two beside him, nearly squishing Ed against the side of the Window.

"Look!" Ed shouted, wiggling and making more room for himself. "It's pulling up right behind us – it's gonna crash into us!"

"No, it's slowing... just a little." Roy furrowed his eyebrows. "What's-"

There was a soft thump by the door to the train. They all turned. There was a slight pause, and then a quiet knock on the door. They looked at each other.

The door opened.

"I'll take your stunned silence as 'you can come in'."

Ed narrowed his eyes, teeth gritted. "Hohenheim!" He hissed. "What are you doing here?!"

(*(*(*(*)*)*)*)

"Winry?" Gracia's soft voice came from behind her. Winry turned around from her place by the window, one hand still resting on the sill. Downstairs, Al was still with Elysia. She had to get ready to go to the hospital.

Gracia smiled a little. "The clothes are in my room. They'll be a bit loose, but...," she trailed off.

Winry nodded, lowering her eyes. "Thank you." She followed the older woman out the door, toward a different room. Winry found her eyes drawn to a sofa, which was covered in blankets and pillows, all of which seemed to have come from the large bed a few feet away.

"Are you sleeping on the couch?," she asked.

Gracia paused in front of her closet, one hand on the handle to push open the sliding wooden door. "That bed's too big for just me," she said softly. She turned back to Winry with a smile that did not reach her eyes; "It's actually rather comfortable." Winry didn't say anything in response, merely looking down. She heard the closet door slide open, hangers squeaking as Gracia pulled out a few articles of clothing.

"Here," she said, holding a bundle under Winry's nose. Winry jumped, taking the clothes with a smile. "Thank you."

Gracia nodded. "I'm afraid that any of my pants would be too long, so you might be a bit cold, but I have a coat you can borrow as well."

Winry held the clothing out at arm's length. There was a dark green skirt, which would probably reach her knees, black leggings to wear underneath, a white tank top, and a dark green half-jacket that tied together at the front.

"I think I'll be okay," Winry smiled lightly, tucking the clothes under her arm, readjusting the towel around her.

There was a slight pause. "Winry," Gracia began, "may I talk to you?"

"Of course," Winry said after a moment. "You know that Al's watching Elysia, right?" She walked toward the room she was sleeping in, motioning for Gracia to follow.

"Yes. She really adores you both, you know."

Winry nodded, hearing Gracia close the door behind them. She laid the clothes out on her bed, dropping the towel and changing. "These fit pretty good," she said when she was finished. Gracia looked up and smiled. "I'm glad. Green looks good on you."

"Thanks." Winry clasped her hands together, waiting.

Gracia brought her arms up, crossing them, though Winry rather thought it looked as though she was hugging herself. Gracia smiled, looking up for a moment only to settle her eyes away again, staring at something far away. "I just... I wanted to say that I understand," she said quietly, ignoring Winry's slight stiffening. "When Maes left for the war... I was terrified. But I had to keep a brave face. It wasn't a new thing, him going on a dangerous mission, but he would always try – with every bit of his strength – to come back to me. But with the war, I knew that wouldn't be enough to keep him alive." Her smile grew a little, though her eyes were sad.

"I never doubted his strength, or how hard he would try. They have incredible strength and determination, our men, don't they, Winry?" She only paused for a moment before looking up at the younger girl. Winry stared back with wide, frozen eyes.

"I know you probably don't want to talk about this, but I just wanted you to know that I understand, that's all." Gracia's voice became nearly inaudible towards the end of her sentence. She tilted her head, and smiled, arms coming loose a little jerkily, as though they had been held with a vice.

Winry struggled to find her voice. "I-" She cleared her throat. "Thank you. I... I really appreciate that..." She gave a small smile of her own, eyelids lowering. "I don't doubt him, but I can't help but be scared. For Mrs. Curtis, for Mr. Mustang, and Mr. Armstrong... but mostly Ed..."

Gracia nodded. "I know. We're strong too, you know. Just as strong as they are, to keep this belief that they will come home – that they'll always try to come home."

Winry gave a small laugh. "And here I thought I was done waiting..." She sighed. "I don't mind it, really. So long as, when it DOES count, I can go with him, wherever he goes."

Gracia paused. "I'm glad that you are... okay, for lack of a better term. Al... doesn't seem to be taking this very well."

Winry smiled a little. "No, he isn't." She turned her face to the window, letting the sun warm her face. "But then again, he's not used to waiting."

Gracia didn't say anything for a moment. Then finished, "I'll take you to the hospital."

(*(*(*(*(*)*)*)*)*)

They pulled into the remains of the Liesenburg train station, slowing to a stop.

Hohenheim exited first, eyes surveying the scene with sadness. Ed came out right behind him, scooting as far away as he possibly could, a heavy scowl on his face.

Roy came next, followed by Izumi, and then Armstrong. They all stared in silence for the briefest of moments.

"...Let's look for survivors." Roy said quietly. "FullMetal, is Marcoh's house close by?"

"Yeah." Ed looked down a blackened path. "It's out that way, by where all the hayfields... were."

Roy nodded. "We'll look for survivors on the way. We have to move quickly. Keep your guard up."

They started moving, not daring to call out.

Unmoving hands reached out to them from under blackened roofs and small children's toys lay melted or shattered. They found an old man that had been impaled in the head after dying, a small body – presumably a grandchild – in his arms. Both were missing limbs, eyes either vacant or hidden.

Ed stared at them, then turned his head away, clenching his fists. Izumi's hand hovered over her stomach as they passed the remains of a house, what used to be a baby crib prominent in the rubble. Roy straightened his shoulders, closing his eyes for a moment. "This is all too familiar," he said quietly. Armstrong was crying, shoulders shaking and hands clenching and unclenching.

Hohenheim stared around. "As usual," he said to himself, "I am too late."

They walked mostly in silence, heads glancing around constantly; shoulders stiff, trying to ready themselves should Kimblee appear. Only Hohenheim walked calmly, hands in his pockets. His eyebrows were furrowed, a frown on his face the only sign of emotion besides calm.

"There." Ed pointed. "That's where Marcoh was living before. He had a whole stash of experimental stones behind his wall..."

Roy nodded. He took a deep breath and straightened, closing his eyes. When he opened them, they were hard. "Let's see what's left. We need to hurry and find Kimblee."

They stood in front of the obliterated house. Before they could say or do anything, a muffled cry reached them. They glanced at each other for a split second, then charged forward, heads snapping around, searching for the source-

Hohenheim found it. He pushed aside a broken bit of wall, calling the others over. He lifted up Dr. Marcoh's head. Ed and Mustang kneeled, pulling debris off of the rest of the old doctor. One of his arms was gone; both legs were sliced clean through by a piece of his metal roof.

He coughed. His eyes fluttered open, moving from face to face slowly. Recognition lit his eyes after a moment. "Ah," he choked. "Alchemists... of the military... Kimblee... wanted me to heal him... you... you must find him..." He coughed again, blood seeping from his mouth. "Threatened... this town... if I didn't... but he did it anyway..." A low cry came from his throat. "I shouldn't have... done it... but... I did..."

His eyes suddenly became clear. "I didn't give him any other stones. They're all gone... he asked... but I had... thrown them... away..."

"Marcoh..." Hohenheim said softly. "I could heal you. Is that what you wish?"

Marcoh was shaking his head before Hohenheim had finished. "No..." He rasped. "I've done... enough damage... to this world..." Tears leaked from his eyes. "This town... this town..." A rasping sob wrenched its way from his throat. "...I helped save the world... but I couldn't help this town..."

He gasped, breath fading. He stared at them all, eyes moving sightlessly from face to face. "Find him..." He whispered. "Find Kimblee... before he... destroys... more..." He took a deep breath, a low moan escaping him. "I'm... sorry..."

His breath became weaker, and after a few moments, he didn't move at all.

Hohenheim gently set Marcoh on the ground and stood up. Roy stared down at the doctor for a moment, shook his head, and then turned away.

For several moments, none of them spoke.

Ed ran a hand over his forehead. "We need to find Kimblee."

"Could he... still be here?" Armstrong asked, wiping at his eyes, a few tears still leaving trails down his face.

"I don't know," Roy said. "If he was, it seems likely that we would not have gotten this far." He kicked at the piece of metal roofing, sending it flipping through the air. "Dammit! This is just a wild goose chase!"

"What's the nearest town?" Izumi demanded. "Does anyone know?"

Ed's eyes widened. "Resembool! Oh, shit!"

Roy looked at him. "Why would he go there? How would he know that it was the nearest town?"

"I don't know!" Ed ran a hand through his hair. "He-"

Hohenheim's head snapped around. "Ed!" He jumped forward, rolling with his son off to the side. As soon as his feet left the ground, rock pillars shot themselves upward, knocking the others a good distance.

The place where they had been standing moments before exploded.

Ed's eyes snapped open. He took one look at Hohenheim (whose arm was still pinning him down on the ground) and scrambled away, fists clenched. "Teacher!," he called. "Mustang! Armstrong" A hand came over his mouth. Ed rolled his eyes up to see his teacher, her eyes flicking around. She moved her hand back.

Roy crawled from behind a pile of rubble. "Hohenheim," he hissed. "Do you know where he is?"

Hohenheim shook his head. "I sensed his alchemy, not where it came from."

Armstrong climbed to his feet not too far away. His eyes were narrowed, flicking about just like Izumi's, and caught the others, who nodded.

They each turned, backs facing each other, their own individual alchemy lashing out in every direction. The ground rolled, Roy's flames flashed in the air, metal roofing arching and slicing forward, ready to rip apart anything in its path.

Something caught Roy's eye and he snapped his fingers without hesitation, walls of fire sprouting and reaching toward the sky, turning the rubble on the ground to ash.

The ground before them exploded, a hand grabbing Roy by his collar and dragging him back, the blasts pushing them forward, toppling across the ground. A bit of metal roofing slid across Roy's chest, making a shallow cut, and he looked to see Armstrong sporting a severely bleeding eye. Armstrong released Roy, standing and kicking at a bit of stone from a decimated house so that it flew up in front of him. He brought his fists together on it as it fell, propelling it forward.

Roy jumped to his feet, sending a column of flames beside the flying boulder.

Izumi jumped forward, her hands slamming upon what seemed to be the remains of a railing, which reshaped itself into a long and sharp blade, and spiraled in a flashing arc into the smoke that had sprung up. Almost simultaneously, the space next to her exploded, and she flew sideways, Armstrong and Roy caught her, her shoulder a bit bloodied and her expression dazed.

Ed created a tall and wicked spear out of the metal littering the ground. Something caught his eye, and he charged, the spear sliding through the air, the smoke around him clearing as he hit the ground, air rushing up around him. He spun, the edge of his spear nicking something that moved, and he had a brief flash of Kimblee's face as the mad alchemist lept over him, eyes alight and teeth spread in an impossibly wide grin, blood flying from the small cut on his cheek-

Fire filled the air, Kimblee twisting out of the way as Ed turned, spear held at the ready, the fire swarming between them, blocking the others from Ed's view for a moment. Ed raised his spear, jumping backward as another boulder of Armstrong's went flying past-

Kimblee's eyes were lit by the fire, fevered, teeth flashing, hands raised-

Out of the ground sprung rock spikes, tall as the highest buildings in Central. And they stuck into Kimblee, stuck through him and cut him, suspending him in the air, dead, maniac grin still on his face. Below, Hohenheim walked forward calmly, the only sign of his emotion the tight fists that were balled in his pockets, and the fire that flared in his eyes.

"You will not touch my son," He said, voice quiet, but carrying perfectly to all of them.

(*(*(*(*)*)*)*)

Winry put a wet cloth on the writhing man's forehead. His hand clenched at the hospital bed, tears pouring down his face, a choked cry escaping his mouth. She didn't say anything. Nothing she said would help. She merely smoothed his hair back and murmured soothingly. His small cry became a scream. After a moment, it died down, and he leaned over the side of his bed, throwing up a mixture of stomach acid and blood into the bowl on the floor.

"This never lasts," she told him firmly. "Now... Mr. Fuery, I'm going to give you a little pain medication so you'll fall asleep, and I'm going to keep working on your leg, alright?"

The black-haired man didn't answer, merely crying out again.

Winry turned. "Grandma! Can you get me some of the pain meds, please?"

Her grandmother nodded, reaching onto a table beside her own patient, and tossing a bottle with a syringe at Winry, who caught it easily, wiping sweat from her forehead as she did so. She filled up the syringe as much as she could, sticking the needle into the man's hip.

After a few minutes, he fell into a bit of a fitful sleep, sweat still pouring down his face, breath shallow. Winry ducked down, reattaching some of the wires that – to Fuery's misfortune and her sympathy – had come undone. She looked up at him, and sighed, closing her eyes for a moment. She had gotten to know him a little over the past months. The man that had been with him, another one of Mustang's most trusted subordinates, had died a little over an hour ago. Vato Falman – that's what his name had been. Word had been sent to Riza, but Winry doubted anyone had told Fuery yet. He likely wouldn't have understood in any case, with the state he was in. She sighed, getting back to work.

So many were dead. Many that she didn't know, and hadn't seen before, but they were dead all the same. She didn't like to think about it.

But people were surviving too. People like Fuery, people like the man her grandmother was working on. "Everything will be alright," she said to Fuery, though she knew he couldn't hear her. The man her grandmother was operating on threw up into his bowl, some of it splattering on the floor.

A nurse stuck her head through the door. "Miss Winry Rockbell?"

Winry turned.

The tired-looking nurse gave her a brief smile. "When you get time, two men are asking for you specifically. One of them has an automail hand. We don't have anymore room... but they keep insisting to see you."

_Heinkel __and Darius_, Winry realized. She nodded. "Can you tell them that I'll be with them in an hour? I have to finish this up, and then check on Mrs. Heston in room fourteen." The nurse nodded, closing the door.

Though she had only been at the hospital for a few hours, already she had fallen into a steady rhythm in the chaotic order of the hospital. She had met with Dr. Knox and his son, both of them making sure that she was allowed to work on patients with her grandmother. Dr. Knox had only just recently started working with live patients again, or so his son had informed her. It was a bit frightening, but she enjoyed having the opportunity to help so many.

After around twenty minutes, Winry finished Fuery's leg. Her grandmother stayed behind, still working on her patient. After cleaning up and checking on Mrs. Heston, the poor woman that had suffered a miscarriage due to all the stress, Winry went into the waiting room, spotting Heinkel and Darius immediately.

Heinkel was the first to notice her, black eye-patch most noticeable against his blonde hair. Darius looked up next, automail hand curled in his lap. The fingers twitched a little. He was very pale, looking as though his black hair had sucked all the color from his face. But they both gave her faint smiles.

"Hi," Winry said, stopping in front of them. "Sorry I couldn't get to you sooner. Things are a bit... crazy... here." She smiled a little, tucking her hair behind her ear.

Darius nodded. He held out his hand to her, wincing. Winry took it as gently as she could. "Hmm..." She turned it over thoughtfully. "Have you been doing the exercises that you're supposed to do?"

"Yes."

Winry raised an eyebrow at him. He seemed to shrink a little. "...Mostly."

"Ah..." Winry nodded. "Well, that cannot continue, got it? I'd be more than happy to look at this, but I don't know if we have room here..." She bit her lip. Her eyes brightened. "Hold on, I'll be right back."

She walked to the phone, dialing Gracia's number. "Hello?"

"Gracia!" Winry said. "I hope I'm not interrupting. I'm sorry to ask, but could you do me a favor? You see, I have a patient and his friend here, but there's really no room in the hospital. You probably met them briefly. Heinkel and Darius – he's the patient – um, they were two of the chimeras that helped Ed and Al and everyone..."

"We've got a lot of room, Winry. It's perfectly fine." Winry cold hear the kind smile in Gracia's voice.

"Thank you," Winry sighed in relief. "I'll be over with them soon. Okay, bye." She hung up the phone, jogging back to the two chimeras. "I have a place where you can stay, and I can work on your hand, Darius!" She said brightly. "Come on, Al will be thrilled to see you both again."

After a bit of protesting, they followed her out, Heinkel driving them where Winry specified. Winry sat next to Darius, examining his hand. She nodded her head, "Garfiel does great work. I trained under him for a while, you know..."

Darius did not seem to want to discuss Garfiel, shuddering at the mention of his name.

Winry smiled. "Ah, there it is. The one with the white gate, Mr. Heinkel."

The blond nodded, pulling up to the sidewalk. Al's face appeared in the window. Winry smiled at him, and he smiled back faintly, letting the curtain drop and walking to the door. As soon as they walked in the door and Winry set down her tools, Al gave her a hug. He'd been doing that more, she noticed. Right before she'd left, he'd done it as well. Not that she minded; Al was sweet and her little brother in everything but blood. It felt good to hug someone you cared about, and with all that had been going on, Winry had been feeling touchier herself.

She pulled back, squatted down so that she could give Elysia a hug, and then commanded her patient upstairs. "Al, is it alright if I borrow your room?"

"Sure."

Once everything was settled, Darius lying down on the bed, Winry standing over him with her tools, Gracia came up and grabbed Elysia. "Come on, sweetheart. I don't know if this is something you want to see."

"Probably not," Winry nodded. "Fair amount of vomiting blood."

Darius paled even more.

So she began. Al sat behind her, next to Heinkel. Al didn't talk much at first, but after a while he joined in the conversation Winry had going. Winry smiled, listening to him laugh. For so long, Al hadn't been able to smile. Now that he could, she wanted it to happen as often as possible. A good hour passed, Darius becoming more and more restless, flesh hand clamping on the sheets, teeth gritted.

Winry smiled at the big man lying down in front of her. "Mr. Darius, when all of this rehabilitation is through, your hand will work so well you'll wish you'd always had it!"

Darius grunted, looking doubtful, his face pale. Sweat dripped down his chin. He winced.

Winry patted his hand. "The pain sort of comes and goes, right? That's a good sign." She blew strands of hair out of her face, yawning.

Heinkel watched her for a moment. "Get some sleep," he said abruptly. "It's the middle of the day, but you should take a nap, or you'll fall asleep holding a tool and he'll need more automail." Heinkel nodded toward the black-haired man, smirking a little.

Darius nodded, and spoke around clenched teeth. "You're... working harder than... half the... military officers... I know..."

Winry shook her head, smiling. "I'm fine. Trust me, this is nothing new." She fixed Darius with a hard look. "Now, unless you want this to get worse, do your exercises, and take the pain meds prescribed by Dr. Knox Jr." She turned her heated gaze to Heinkel. "Make sure he does that when he's supposed to, and don't let him whine out of it, or you'll both have to answer to me, got it?" She waggled her pointer-finger at them both.

Al, from his place by the chair, piped up: "And don't think she doesn't mean it, either. Trust me, she'll follow up on that." He grinned ruefully and winced.

Winry smiled sweetly, while Heinkel, who looked amused, nodded, and Darius, who looked not at all amused, grumbled.

"What was that?" Winry asked in a sugary voice.

"Nothing," Darius answered quickly, turning green and reaching for the bowl beside him, promptly emptying the contents of his stomach into it. Red mixed with the stomach acid. Winry patted his arm, putting a damp towel on his head once he sat back, groaning.

"I'll go dump this," she said, reaching for the bowl. Al surprised her by standing.

"I'll get it," he said. "I need to walk around more anyway." He grasped the bowl carefully, making sure that he wouldn't spill the contents on himself, and walked fairly steadily out of the room.

"Winry," Gracia called. The younger girl turned toward the door, listening. "Riza Hawkeye is on the phone, and she wants to speak with you."

Winry felt her heart begin to pound. There was nothing in Gracia's voice to make her worry, however, so she smiled at Heinkel and Darius, walking over to the phone in the other room. Gracia's house had gotten very familiar to her. The older woman passed the receiver to her with a small smile. Winry nodded as she took it and pressed it to her ear. "Hello?"

"Winry? I called the hospital, and was informed that you came back here. If you get time, could you come down to Central command?"

"Um... I could in a little while. May I ask why?"

"Something arrived for you," Riza said. "A package from Briggs. We had it checked, what with all that's going on. It was just-"

"My bag!" Winry exclaimed. "Oh, I thought I'd never get it back! I left it there before... I'll be over in a half hour."

Winry could imagine Riza nodding as she spoke. "Good. I'll have someone waiting for you. It's very... _hectic_... here." She paused. "See you soon, take care."

"Goodbye." The line clicked. Winry put the phone on the hook, letting out a breath. She'd been hoping for some sort of news, but... at least she would have more tools. _He's okay_, she told herself. _News will come soon. He's fine_. She sighed, and then straightened, pitching a smile on her face.

"Alright," she said, walking into the room where she was working. "Let's finish up."

(*(*(*(*(*)*)*)*)*)

Someone bumped into her, hurrying away without bothering to apologize. Rubbing her now sore shoulder, she stuck her tongue out at the retreating back as it hurried around a corner. She stood on her tiptoes, trying to get some sign of whoever was waiting for her. It had to be someone she recognized... right? Riza hadn't mentioned a name...

Winry had never seen so many blue uniforms all gathered together before, and she swore that the reflection of the various medals and buttons on the military jackets would make her go blind. On the other hand, she supposed that they were so busy for a good reason. Much of the city was still a mess, after all... and with no direct word from Ed and the others...

It made her sad, thinking about it. She took a deep breath, pressing a hand to her chest, heart suddenly heavy. Although she wanted to get her bag – would it contain an icicle? – mostly she just wanted to figure out what the hell was really going on. Riza had promised to let her know if Ed and the others had checked in, but even though her head argued that it was ridiculous, that they would call whether she was there or not, she wanted to be there, to hear for herself that they were okay...

"Um, excuse me..."

Winry turned, seeing someone she recognized a little bit. The woman in front of her was brown-haired, with large glasses and a small smile. A stack of books were pinned to her chest. She extended her hand. "My name is Sheska. You are... Winry, right? You're a friend of Ed and Al's?"

Winry nodded, shaking her hand. "Yes, I've known them all my life." She smiled a little, memories flashing in front of her eyes. "Um, Riza called me here. Are you the one that was supposed to meet me?"

Sheska nodded. "Yes." She smiled. "They're in the Fuhrer's office right now. Come on, I'll show you where it is." She turned, leading Winry through the crowd until they came to a large wooden door, three guards standing in front. They nodded at Sheska and moved aside, opening the door.

Winry stepped inside cautiously. There were a good six guards posted in the room, two beside the door and four others in their own various corners. Riza was standing at her desk, radio equipment set up on top of it. Three other men stood next to her, and they broke off their conversation as Winry and Sheska approached.

Riza looked at them, her haggard expression changing into a small, but firm, smile.

"Thank you," she said to Sheska, who smiled and saluted. Riza turned to the younger girl; "Winry. It's good to see you. The package is right here." She went behind her desk, and lifted up a box, setting it on the table by the recording equipment, waving aside the men next to her. They retreated a few steps, standing over by Sheska. Riza blew a few strands of hair out of her face.

"I apologize for asking you to come down here, but I wanted to see how you were doing. We haven't received much word lately..." Riza trailed off.

Winry looked at the older woman for a moment. "I am... okay. How are you?"

Riza gave a tired smile. "I am as okay as you are, Winry."

Winry knew that Riza had known her answer before she even spoke, just as Winry had known hers. In many ways, they were very similar. As were the men they loved.

Men. Most would still call Ed a boy. But he wasn't. Not anymore. He hadn't been a 'boy' since the age of ten. Then again, she hadn't been a 'girl' for some time either. She was a woman and he was a man – younger than the man that Roy Mustang was, but a man nonetheless.

She cleared her throat. "So... no direct word from them?"

Riza shook her head. "No. Just messages passed to others." Winry saw that she was fingering her engagement ring. Her finger traced the diamond and the band, in a light touch.

Winry hesitated for a moment, and then walked toward the box, opening it and fingering the bag she had left at Briggs so long ago. She smiled, putting the strap over her shoulder.

"It's been so long since I've had this... I'd forgotten what it felt like." She smiled at Riza, who gave a small smile back. Sheska, Winry noticed, had been caught up in conversation with two of the men that had been standing by Riza moments before.

"Winry..." Riza's voice was very quiet. "I've been meaning to talk to you. Roy and I discussed it a little before, but... we wanted to have a wedding that wouldn't be full of politicians and people we didn't know. Before the wedding date we announced... we wanted to be married somewhere quiet, with people we know. We'll have two weddings. But the first one... our quiet one... We were thinking of having it in Resembool. I would... need you help. You know your hometown far better than I do."

Winry stared at her for a moment. Then she felt herself grinning. "Riza..." She said slowly. "That sounds... fantastic. I'd be glad to help you. Once this is all over."

"Once this is all over," Riza echoed. "Yes." Her face softened, and her smile grew. "Thank you, Winry. This means a lot to me."

Winry nodded. "I know," she said softly.

Behind them, the door swung open. Riza blinked, eyebrows slanting down for a moment before she relaxed. "Mrs. Bradley," she said politely. "What brings you here?"

Winry turned around.

A woman stood in the doorway, with gray hair and a lined face. Her lips were shaped in such a way that it was obvious she smiled much of the time. But her face held no smile. Her hands were in her pockets. She raised one of them to wipe at her face, and then slid it into the pocket again.

She was shaking. Her hair was coming undone and her eyes darted around the room in apparent nervousness. They passed right over Winry, coming to rest on Riza.

Riza frowned, stepping forward. "Ma'am? Are you alright?"

The older woman gulped, a little gasping breath escaping her. "You..." She took a few halting steps forward. "You... are going to marry Roy Mustang..." Her voice was a mere quiver, and something about the way she was talking set Winry on edge, set her heart pounding. Her hands clenched on the strap of her bag.

Riza seemed to be feeling the same. Her eyebrows furrowed, and she tilted her head a little to one side. "Yes... I am..."

The older woman bit her lip, and took another step forward. Winry stared hard at her.

Everyone was watching now.

"Mrs. Bradley," Riza said, stepping forward with her arms outstretched. "Something is bothering you. How may I be of assistance?" Her posture was stiff, ready.

The older woman stared at her. Then, before Riza could say another word, Mrs. Bradley threw both her hands out, bringing them together, to hold properly that which she had in her hands.

A gun.

It was black. Mrs. Bradley shook, taking another step forward. "You... your future husband is responsible for the death of mine... because of him, my husband and son are dead. So... so I kill his future wife. I- Isn't that something alchemists believe in? Equivalent Exchange?!" Her voice grew louder at the end of her sentence, tears dripping down her chin.

Riza's eyes were wide. She held out a hand to the guards by the door. "Mrs. Bradley," she said slowly. "You don't want to do this. You heard what happened – we explained everything to you..."

Mrs. Bradley shook her head frantically. "No! No! The husband and son that loved me, that I loved in return... don't tell me that wasn't true! It can't be! Because of Roy Mustang, they are dead! They're gone..." Her fingers trembled.

"Mrs. Bradley... I'm sorry. I truly am. But we had little choice. You don't want to do this. You are a kind person... you know in your heart that this will not solve anything."

Winry could hardly breathe. This was so familiar to her – this desperate person seeking revenge because those she loved had been killed. But her parents had done no wrong.

"Mrs. Bradley..." Her voice was barely a whisper, but the old woman's eyes quickly flicked to her, and then away. "Mrs. Bradley, my name is Winry Rockbell. My parents were doctors in the Ishval war. They were murdered by Scar..." She took a deep breath. "Please believe me... I understand. But your husband and son were not who you believed them to be..."

Mrs. Bradley shook her head, mouthing the word 'no'. Her breath gasped.

"Please..." Winry murmured.

"You would regret this move forever if you pulled that trigger," Riza said softly, her eyes never moving from the older woman's. "Trust me. In the end, it wouldn't just hurt Roy or me. It would hurt this young lady over here-," she nodded toward Winry, "and it would hurt you."

The older woman stared at her, mouth moving silently. She swallowed, tears dripping down her chin.

"I'm sorry for what happened to you." Riza said very quietly. "I'm sorry."

Mrs. Bradley adjusted her grip on the trigger, shoulders shuddering with her gasps.

"Please...," Winry whispered. She felt her throat constrict and her eyes fill with tears, though she didn't let any fall. "Please... don't do this..."

Mrs. Bradley stared at them, eyes flicking back and forth between them quickly. Her hair fell out of its bun, sweat making her forehead shine. She furrowed her eyebrows and gritted her teeth. The gun shook, and then lowered by a fraction-

The door swung open. Mrs. Bradley jumped, startled. Out of reflex, her finger pulled the trigger.

A loud crack sounded in the air, Riza toppling over, blood pooling on the carpet.

"NO!" Winry shrieked, diving forward, the other men and Sheska falling beside her, reaching desperately toward Riza-

Riza groaned, eyes squeezed shut and teeth gritted. "I'm fine...," she said tightly. "It's... just... my arm..." She winced. "Ah, shit...!" She curled up; one arm pressed against the steady flow of blood in her other arm.

"Someone call an ambulance!," Sheska screamed.

Mrs. Bradley fell back against the wall. She stared down at Riza, the gun slipping from her fingers. She stumbled backward, only to be grabbed by the elbows. One of the guards that had been by the door held her back. "You're not going anywhere."

People began piling through the door, rushing to get at Riza, frantic voices and hands dabbing at her wound, trying to stop the flow-

"Stop...!" Riza hissed. "You're not... helping!"

"An ambulance is on the way, Ma'am," one of the military women said to her soothingly.

Winry scooted herself closer, not letting the military people around her make her leave. "Just lie right here," she told Riza. "The ambulance will be here soon." She could hardly hear what anyone was saying, the voices blurred and quieted thanks to her pounding heart. Riza nodded. "I'll be... fine..." She winced. "At least she missed... my gun arm..."

Winry couldn't help it – she laughed. Riza looked up at her, and gave a smile.

The ambulance arrived in record time. The news that the Fuhrer's future wife had been shot seemed to speed them up.

The ride to the hospital seemed longer than normal. Though she knew that Riza would likely be okay, Winry couldn't stop her heart from thumping, fear clogging her chest.

They rushed Riza into the Emergency Room, leaving Winry sitting on the plastic chairs in the waiting room, clutching at the bag on her shoulder that she had all but forgotten.

After many years – or so it seemed at least – Doctor Knox Senior walked out, and gave the barest of a smile. "She's sleeping. It's not infected, but she'll need a lot of rest. She lost a fair amount of blood, and getting that bullet out of her was no picnic. She'll be out for a while." Winry sank back in her seat, closing her eyes and sighing in relief.

"Hey." Winry opened her eyes, staring up at Dr. Knox. He cocked his head at her. "Your grandmother just went to work on an automail patient. Do you want me to get her?"

Winry shook her head, smiling. She paused, and then stood. "Thank you. For helping Riza."

Dr. Knox shrugged. "It's the job. You know that." Winry nodded. He gave a dry chuckle. "But I'm glad she's alright. I can't imagine a better match for Mustang: a stubborn, strong woman like that."

Winry giggled a little. "I agree."

A nurse stopped beside them. "Dr. Knox, room twelve!" He nodded, and waved to Winry before following the nurse down the hall.

The military people that had followed were leaning against various objects in relief.

"Someone call Major General Grumman. He's in charge now, until we hear from Fuhrer Mustang," one of them told another.

After a few moments, she called Gracia, who immediately offered to pick her up. Without much waiting, Gracia came and took her home, relieved that nothing worse had happened. "Do you know what happened to Mrs. Bradley?" she asked.

Winry shook her head. "I saw a guard grab her, to stop her from running away, but that's it. They probably brought her to the jail..." Winry bit her lip. She wasn't sure how she felt about the whole situation.

Gracia nodded. "Well... be ready to be bombarded with questions. Al was worried sick. So were Heinkel and Darius, actually... though they wouldn't admit it..." Gracia smiled, and Winry laughed a little. The car slowed, and then stopped. Winry looked to see Al's outline framed in light for a moment before he was out the door and on the porch, leaning against the railing, staring at her with wide eyes. Winry climbed out of the car, walking up the steps toward Al. Gracia got out as well, walking past her up the stairs and through the door.

His hand clenched tightly on the railing.

Winry stopped in front of him, letting her hands drop from her bag.

Al jumped forward, wrapping her in a tight hug, his shoulders shaking a little. "It... it was on the radio... Winry, I was..." He gasped, curling his head toward her. Winry nodded into his shoulder. "I know, Al. I'm sorry."

She knew what he was thinking. With how worried they were about Ed – hearing that kind of news would be terrible. Winry hugged him a little tighter. After a moment she stepped back, and smiled. Al smiled down at her as well, letting out a deep breath.

"So, everything is alright? Ms. Riza is okay?"

Winry nodded. "She needs to stay at the hospital for a few days, but she'll be alright. They're calling in that old general... Grumman, I think – to take her place until Mr. Mustang comes back."

At the Fuhrer's name, Al looked at her, eyes asking a silent question.

Winry lowered her eyes. "...Still no direct word," she said quietly.

Al stared at her, and then looked away. His fists clenched and his eyebrows furrowed, eyes squeezed shut. Winry put her hand on his arm and smiled softly at him. "It'll be okay, Al."

Al looked at her through fathomless eyes. "How do you know?"

Winry smiled, eyes downcast. She grabbed his arm, leading him toward the door. "I don't. I just believe that it will be."

They walked inside together, where Winry was indeed bombarded by questions and concerns from Heinkel and Darius. After a long while, she climbed up the stairs to the room she was sharing with Elysia. She sighed, falling backward on the bed. She was tired. She sat up suddenly, and started going through her bag.

Winry smiled, pulling out a wrench that she hadn't seen in a while, as well as a number of screwdrivers and stray bolts. Her hands touched something soft, and she frowned, grabbing at what felt like cloth.

She pulled it out, and it flared, vibrantly red and ripped, symbol on the back flashing.

It was Ed's old coat. The one he had left with her after she had discovered the truth about her parents and Scar. She moved her fingers over it slowly. How could she have forgotten? She had stuffed it in her bag, hadn't given it back to him. He hadn't asked her to, just as she had not asked him for her earrings when he came back to Resembool.

She brought the coat up to her face, pressing her nose into it.

Her hands clamped on it tightly, and she fell back, holding the coat as close as she could, keeping it against her heart.

(*(*(*(*(*)*)*)*)*)

Ed coughed, climbing to his feet, wiping at the blood that had been leaking into his mouth from the shallow cuts on his cheeks.

Kimblee was pinned up, arms splayed like some sickening marionette, a maniac grin on his face, spikes of rock sticking through his stomach, chest, arms, and legs, blood dripping from his body, falling like heavy rain to the ground and the figure below. Hohenheim stared up at the dead man, blood as red as the philosopher's stone dripping steadily onto his face and clothes. His white button-up shirt was stained, golden hair turning rusty, and when he turned around even his glasses were splattered.

His face was quite blank. He put a hand up to the blood on his forehead and wiped it away, almost absently. Hohenheim looked back at the body, and twisted his foot. The spikes that had grown like mountains shot downward, Kimblee sliding easily and sickeningly out of the spikes, bouncing a little as he hit the ground. Hohenheim picked up the dead, sadistic alchemist, heaving him over his shoulder and walking away. "There's a river nearby," He called back, before Roy could even open his mouth.

Ed's lips twisted, and he looked away, adding what he had just seen to the long list of sights that he would never be able to wash from his mind, but would always wish that he could.

Izumi gave a hacking cough, and for the first time since he had seen her at the Promised Day, a little bit of blood coated her lips and her hands. "Teacher!" Ed cried, immediately rushing to her, Roy following him with a- "Mrs. Curtis!"

Izumi held up her other hand to stop them, taking a rattling breath and straightening. She smiled a little. "I breathe easier now thanks to your father, Ed."

Ed blinked, his eyebrows pulling down. He didn't say anything.

Roy's eyes stared at the place where Hohenheim had vanished.

There was a moment of silence.

"Well…" Izumi said.

"Kimblee is dead," Roy finished. "We need to contact Central command."

She nodded. "Kimblee is dead," She echoed. "And my dress is beyond ruined." Her hands smoothed over the ripped and bloodied dress that she had been wearing to that party-

Was that only a day ago? Ed wondered. It seemed so much longer. He looked down at his own clothes, wiping again at his face and the blood that dripped there. He felt… a bit of relief, that they wouldn't have to worry about Kimblee anymore. But if this had shown him anything, it had shown that great danger still existed. There would never be true peace, not in his lifetime with all the messes still left to clean up. "We also should give these people proper burials," He said quietly.

Roy and Izumi nodded. "You're right," Roy ran a hand through his hair. "We need to contact Central too. It's nearly been two days, and we've left no word." He paused, and said to himself. "Riza is going to kill me…"

Izumi bit her lip. "Sig must be so worried… he's such a worrywart."

Ed felt himself smile, just a little. "Winry is going to hit me… and Al is going to give me a lecture."

Roy actually laughed. "Come on, FullMetal, that's what happens when you love a strong woman! Lots of… heated… activities." He grinned.

Ed blushed. "Bastard," he muttered.

Izumi rolled her eyes, laughing. "Come on boys, let's get to work."

They worked. Together, they made graves for all the bodies they found. Unable to think of anything to say on them, they left the stones unmarked and smooth – excepting Dr. Marcoh. While only half of his body could be found, they lowered him into a grave all the same. The pale stone read:

Tim Marcoh

Doctor, Alchemist, Soldier.

He is now at peace.

Hours of work was brought down, especially when Hohenheim returned, shirt and shoulders still soaked in blood. "Our train is still intact, correct?" Armstrong asked. Roy nodded, standing from where he had been kneeling by the last grave. "Let's go home."

They walked – and as they walked, Ed tried to keep as far as he could from his father. His head was too muddled – there was no room left to think about Hohenheim and everything that came with him.

_Home._

For so long, he had thought that he did not have a home, but now he knew. _Home. _The word brought such a rushing of relief that Ed nearly doubled over. Al and Winry were waiting for him. The two people to which he felt that he could tell everything, or nothing, unloading his burdens with a glance or a touch because no matter what happened, they would _understand_.

But still, even with the relief and the eagerness to go where his home waited for him, grief still clouded his head. And not just his either. All of them felt it. They had won, but they had also lost.

_Equivalent exchange?_ Ed asked himself.

They boarded the train and Izumi was able to get it going again, after a few adjustments. Soon the wind was whipping through the window, land speeding past them. The sky was darkening as the sun slipped under the horizon.

"You can't save everyone." Hohenheim said. He was looking at his son with an expression that Ed couldn't name.

Ed glanced at him and then away, scowling. "I know _that_."

Hohenheim still stared at him, head tilted a little to one side. "There will always be those you can't help." His voice was quiet, perfect opposite to Ed's tone. "But that can't hold you down. You have to try anyway."

"I know that!" Ed insisted, finally turning to stare his father in the face, eyes hard. "Stand up and walk forward! Unlike what some believe, I'm just human! I'm not all-powerful, and people have died because of me! But I have to keep trying!" His mouth turned into a snarl. "I have to keep trying and get stronger, keep going forward! Don't act like you're trying to teach me something I already know!"

Hohenheim looked at him mildly, but with something like pride in his eyes.

"I know that you know," He said. "But we all need a reminder sometimes." He smiled faintly. Ed gritted his teeth, turning his back.

The others watched in silence for a moment.

Roy frowned at Hohenheim. "You wouldn't consider becoming a State Alchemist, would you?"

Hohenheim chuckled a little. "It's something to think about. I suppose that depends upon what you wish to do with the State Alchemists, Furher Mustang."

Roy smiled and nodded. He turned to the black-haired woman. "Mrs. Curtis, I don't suppose you would consider-"

Izumi raised an eyebrow.

He chuckled. "I thought not." He frowned a little. "FullMetal – do you think your brother would be interested?"

Ed paused. "You'd have to ask him." He didn't say anything for a moment, but then lowered his voice, teeth gritted. "Hohenheim." It was obviously painful for him to address his father. "Back with... the Promised Day... were you telling the truth? What you said about... when you went to Resembool?"

Hohenheim's eyebrows rose. "About Miss Rockbell? Yes, I was."

"Oho!" Roy straightened. "What's this, FullMetal?"

Ed turned the color of his old coat. "Nothing," He hissed. "Get that shit-eating grin off your face." Roy childishly crossed his arms. "Such language! That is no way to address the leader of the country!"

"Come now, Edward," Armstrong rumbled. "Love is many a splendid thing! If you are unsure as to how to court fair maiden, I'm sure any of us would be willing to lend a hand!" He lifted a hand to his eye, wiping at his tears. "Ah, the beauty of young love!"

Roy grinned menacingly. "Yes, FullMetal...we would love to help." Izumi chuckled manically.

Ed turned white. "No! Everything's fine- Winry and I- we're not- ARRRGGGH!" He threw his hands up in frustration.

"Now, FullMetal, the first thing you should know about women is-"

Ed clapped his hands over his ears. "I'm not listening to _you!_"

They were on their way home.

(*(*(*(*(*)*)*)*)*)

The train station didn't look nearly as beat up as it had when they had left, and Ed could only chalk that fact up to the alchemists in town that were not tied down to the military. However, as their train rolled in, the female officer that they had seen on their way out rushed forward, gun aimed at the door, shoulders heaving with her pants. Ed really couldn't blame her – the train didn't look like it had before, and for all she knew Kimblee could pop out at any second.

Roy opened the door, holding up a hand and motioning for the woman to lower her gun, which she did immediately, relief blossoming over her face. "Sir!" She gasped, saluting.

He nodded to her. "The Crimson Alchemist is dead. Is a radio available, or a car nearby? We need to get to Central command."

The woman nodded, relief still evident on her face. "Fuhrer Mustang – yes, there's a radio, sir. Shall I-"

Roy nodded, stepping down from the train, the others behind him. "Get me Riza Hawkeye, she-"

"But sir!" The woman looked stunned for a moment that she had dared to interrupt the Fuhrer. "I- I don't think that will be possible, sir, I just received notice that Riza Hawkeye was taken to the hospital, she was shot!"

Roy looked for a moment as if he had not heard properly. He froze. "W... what?" Behind him, Ed gave an intake of breath, Armstrong letting out an audible gasp. Izumi bit her lip. Hohenheim took his hands out of his pockets, surprised.

The woman continued. "I'm afraid that I don't have much information, sir, but I was told that she was shot in Central command by Mrs. Bradley, and was taken into the care of Dr. Knox- sir?" For Roy's eyes were wide, worried, face white. "I need a car." He said. "Now!"

The woman jumped. "I- yes, sir, of- of course, there's one right over there-" She gestured to a car parked behind a ticket booth, a man in uniform standing beside it. He jumped into a salute the moment he saw them. "Sir-"

Roy walked past him. "I need the keys to this car, _now_." There was such a blackness in his voice that the officer did not dare to question him. "O- of course, sir, here." He reached in his pocket, handing the keys from Roy, who snatched them out of his hand, diving into the front seat. "Get in!" He barked at the others.

They fit, but barely. Ed squished himself as far as he could against the side of the car, so that his arm would not brush Hohenheim's. Roy's foot slammed on the gas, and they took off, his hands clasped tight on the wheel, the buildings flashing past them faster than Ed's eyes could track.

"You need to tell Central command what happened," Roy shouted back at them. "Take the car once we get to the hospital!" They turned a corner sharply, all of them jostled, Hohenheim falling a little against Ed, who pushed him back fiercely. "Sorry," Hohenheim murmured.

"Damn it, damn it!' Roy hissed, seeming to forget that there were others in the car. "Please be alright-" His voice wavered, just the slightest, at the end.

Ed exchanged a look with his teacher, eyebrows drawn together. _She's going to be fine,_ he told himself. _This is Riza Hawkeye! If she can put up with Mustang, she can survive a bullet..._

The car swerved, pulling into the hospital, Roy out the door before it had come to a complete stop, running up the steps.

Roy burst through the doors, panting. The nurse at the counter jumped to her feet. "Fuhrer Mustang!" She shouted in surprise. "Sir, you're bleed-"

"What room is Riza Hawkeye in?! What is her condition?!" He demanded, leaning over the counter toward her, his expression dark and fearful.

"Sh- she's stable, sir... they finished with her not too long ago. The bullet hit her arm. She's sleeping, but-"

"What. Room. Is. She. In?" He had to see her for himself, though the nurse's words had brought a small drop of relief, he had to be sure, had to see her face and feel her hair in his hands to know that she was alright...

"Um..." The woman flipped through a few files. "Room thirty-seven..."

Roy sprinted down the hall, his head snapping around, eyes focusing on the room numbers.

_20...22..._ He continued running, the blood from the cuts he had received dripping down his chin. He ignored the various people that called out to him.

_There!_ He threw the door open, stumbling into the room.

The sudden quiet slowed him, the door swinging shut behind him. Roy straightened, and swallowed. A steady beeping soon reached his ears, and he walked forward slowly, hesitantly.

Her face was paler than normal, fresh sweat shining on her forehead, her mouth in a very small frown, eyebrows furrowed. He stopped beside her, gently running his hand over her cheek and forehead. She leaned into the touch, face relaxing. She was beautiful. Her face, her eyes, her strength, and her heart.

Roy kneeled, his heart still thudding in his ears from the fear that had engulfed him.

Her hair was undone, spilling over her pillow. Bandages were wrapped tightly around her upper left arm. He brought his other hand up, tucking it behind her head, smoothing her hair. _She's alive. She's okay._

Roy let out a slow breath, pressing his forehead very gently against hers, and kissing her softly on her nose, and then her forehead.

He knew that he couldn't stay long, that he really ought to report to Central command. He was in charge. He was Fuhrer.

_Just a few more moments._

_Soon_, he thought. _Soon I will be able to have more than just 'a few moments'. We'll have our whole lives. _

"I missed you, love." He whispered. "I was worried..." He kissed her eyelids. "But I'm fine now. Everything will be fine."

There was much to do. The people he had left behind had been left with a mess. People were dead. The peace that had begun to sneak into their hearts had scattered again. But it would be alright.

"_...You need to go straight to the top."_

"_Find yourself a good wife!"_

_Right again, Hughes,_ he thought, smiling.

Riza stirred. Roy moved back a little, to see her eyes opening very slightly. She squinted, looking confused for a moment. She blinked a few times, and then smiled softly.

"It's about time you arrived, sir," She whispered.

Roy chuckled, bringing his face closer to her.

He was home.

(*(*(*(*(*)*)*)*)*)

Izumi yawned, waving to Ed. It had been a long day, and they all had people waiting for them.

Hohenheim was still standing beside her – whether because he enjoyed her company, or merely because he believed that he had nowhere else to go, she wasn't sure. He watched his son with a wistful expression as the car that Ed was in drove away.

Izumi cocked her head, staring at Hohenheim. "Just keep trying," She said abruptly. He started, and then looked at her. She smiled faintly. "My organs... Al's body, Ed's limbs... we brought them upon ourselves. But we're still here today. You left your family, and your son can hardly stand to be around you. Ed got back on his feet, and Al was returned to his body. I can no longer bear children, but I live. My husband lives." She turned to face him. "And you're here today. Maybe it's too late, but you're here. Stay, and who knows what will happen. Sometimes, people can overcome the Truth."

Hohenheim blinked, and then nodded. "I have no intention of leaving again."

"Did you 'intend' to leave before?" She shook her head, speaking again before he could answer. "Never mind. That's good to hear." Izumi glared at him, scowling. "Seriously, if you leave again I will hunt you down."

Hohenheim chuckled. "I don't doubt that a number of people would."

Izumi smiled, and then frowned. "Where are you staying? Where will you stay?"

Hohenheim looked thoughtful. "At the moment I am in a hotel... as to where I will stay later, I don't know. I might just take up the Fuhrer's offer on becoming a State Alchemist, and buy a house. I no longer have a home, you see." He smiled a little bitterly.

Izumi looked at him for a moment. She shrugged. "That's all well and good. But home is where the heart is, you know." She smiled. "And part of that heart is with your sons."

She paused, and then turned her head, a smile lighting up her face. "Hubby!" She called, running forward and jumping into the arms of her husband, her home.

Hohenheim watched them for a moment, and then turned his head away. His home was with his family, and he would have to work to earn it.

(*(*(*(*(*)*)*)*)*)

The phone rang. Winry looked up from where she was sitting on the sofa next to Al and Elysia. Heinkel looked around as well, from where he had been sitting by the window reading the paper.

Gracia smiled at them, standing to answer it.

Winry and Al exchanged glances. There had been so many disappointments, but they were hopeful each time.

"Hello?" Gracia spoke into the phone. Her eyes widened, and her face broke into a grin. "Thank you." She hung up the phone, standing, just as Al and Winry did.

"They're back," Gracia said softly, her eyes shining.

Winry and Al felt the relief hit them at the same time, but it was too soon for happiness. Without saying anything, merely glancing at each other, they went out the door, Winry running, Al jogging quickly.

They burst through the door, the light from the house illuminating the yard and the street. Their heads turned frantically, as if expecting to see him pop up from behind a bush.

A car rounded the corner, and stopped in front of the house.

Al stumbled past her, flinging open the gate and running as best as he could. Ed stepped out of the car. "Al..."

Al rammed into him, nearly knocking him over, hugging him. "Brother," Al whispered.

Ed brought his hand down on Al's shoulder. "Yeah," He said, Closing his eyes for a moment, reveling in his brother, in the fact that Al could hug him now. He stepped back. "How are you feeling? You haven't been walking too much, have-" Another body assaulted him, this one softer and smaller, smelling like an odd combination of metal and apples. Soft hair tickled his chin, and he leaned his face into it.

"Winry..."

Winry leaned back enough so that she could hit him on the chest, smacking him once, twice, three times, before he caught her hand. Her eyes were filled with tears.

"And here I thought you were happy to see me," He said.

Winry shook her head, laughing and choking past her tears. "Ed, you're such an idiot!"

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

Ed felt his heartbeat skyrocket, face turning bright red, eyes wide. He nearly dropped to his knees, their teeth knocking together, making him wince. After a moment he responded, hesitantly, not really sure what he was doing, a bubbly feeling rising in his chest.

Winry tilted her head, deepening the kiss, and Ed let his emotions take over.

When they broke apart, both were panting, both were red-faced, and both were smiling.

Al muttered something like "finally!," but they ignored him.

After a few moments they came together again, kissing softly, and then just hugging. Al wrapped his arms around both of them and they stood there, embracing on the sidewalk together.

He was with Al and Winry, the people that mattered most to him in the entire world.

They were all together now, and they could face whatever would come.

He was home.

~(*(~(*(~(*(~(*(~(*(~(*(~(*(~(*(~

* * *

Woot! Another chapter completed. Once again, I am really, really, sorry about how long this took. Okay, a few notes:

The gun thing was not random, I've been planning it for a while. Also, I may be mistaken about the thing with Ed's coat, but it's cute in any case. ^^ Doing a worried Roy was fun, and overall I did like this chapter. Originally, this chapter was also going to include a trip to Hughes's grave, as well as an appearence by Panninya, but it couldn't fit in and make sense. Oh, and the offer for Hohenheim to become a state alchemist was something that I have never seen before in stories, so....*shrug* Anywho, hope you all liked! Reviews:

amenta bennu: Heh, sorry the update wasn't all that soon, but I'm glad you like the story! As you can see, Hohenheim is planning on sticking around.

AliasAurora: Thanks! It's cool to find someone my age on this site! I'll have to check out some of your stories. I'm glad you like the one-shots too. ^^

Winry1021: Aw, thanks! Writing these chapters sometimes makes me cry! (Tears of joy, that is. ^^) While this wasn't updated soon, I hope you still like it.

fantasysangel7: Hello! Glad you like! Everyone seems to have enjoyed the fluff in the snow. While there is still some tension between Ed and Winry, it has lessened a bit, I hope. ^^

Tishannia: Yep, EdWin=love. ^^ Glad you like.

alchemichelper101: I like the part in the snow too! And...um...happy mother's day? *since the holidays are long past*

Meso the Hanyu: Thank you! I'm glad this is helping you be inspired. I love all those couples (as you can see) and thanks for the review. ^^

obsidianlight: Thanks! Hmmm...the only problem with the name 'Red Alchemist' is that it is too similar to Kimblee's...thanks for the name suggestions, but I actually was able to find one I liked. (See below) Oh, and no, that's not a typo. I just decided to use Armstrong's alchemist name. For no apparent reason.

YuukixZero16-in-yellow: Thanks! Glad you like it. While this is not 'soon', I did update!

Mecha-Greiver: Thanks! Glad you liked it. Yep, lots of drama. I really like how Winry was about her love toward Ed as well (which is good, since I wrote it) and I hope the wait didn't kill you yet! (Like the wait for chapter 95 is killing me...)

Sakura22222: Oh, well I'm glad it was your favorite chapter! Wow, Arakawa's clone? That's quite a compliment! I love the WinryAl sibling stuff too.

YourFavoritePlushie : Gotta love the Royai! Yep, Kimblee just likes to cause chaos...

Andrew Borealis: Well, now Kimblee is dead both in here, and in the manga! Thanks for the review, glad you liked. :)

S J Smith: Hah, thanks for telling me about that typo, and the names. While I chose a different one, those did help. I love Rebecca too, expect more of her next chapter!

oxFMAfan411xo: Well, there was no 'fast' or 'soon', but I updated! Glad you liked the chapter. ^^

CreativeButLazy: Once again, thanks for the names. Well...winry is just cool like that, going out in the snow. ^^ Now you have a kiss!

xxCelestialStarxx: I love Al's line too, and them dancing in the snow. Oh, yes, please do check out my FF stories!

Arden Anam: Yep, big baddie. 94 sure ended with a cliffhanger, huh?

Orange Singer: What can I say? I love that earring bit. ^^ Thanks for the review.

Larxenethefly: Thank you! I had a good time writing all the emotions and such. Hope you like this chapter!

Alright, many of you suggested names for a future story of mine. While I didn't use any of your suggestions, they did help, so thank you. The names are:

Annabell and Liam Elric.

Next chapter preview:

Ever After: Wedding bells are ringing! And while there is sadness for all that has happened, it is overshadowed by the happiness that is being shared. Love, laughs, dancing, kisses, and the epilouge.

Tune in for the next, and last, chapter!

Till next time! ~AerithHeart.


	11. Coming Together

No, you're not hallucinating. This is an update.

And, its also not the chapter you were expecting. As with many things...it sort of got away from me, and I had to split the chapter again. Meaning, there's still one more chapter I have to write. This chapter contains a lot of world building, but is hopefully enjoyable nonetheless. I finished it around two months ago, but my beta's been busy, so...not that its her fault! She did an excellent job, as always.

While I've been stuck on this story, FMA has ended. I'm still in shock over this. I've heard a lot of hate, and a lot of love for the ending. Honestly, I really liked the ending, despite the loose ends left hanging. A lot of you have probably heard the rumors of an FMA movie- turns out, its going to be live action. That, I'm not so thrilled about. :P

DISCLAIMER: FMA is over. Seriously, I don't own the characters or anything. Any and all damage, physical or psychological that occurs to them within my stories does not actually have any effect upon the real characters. Thank you. :D

Betaed by please-knock, as always. Thank you!

Read and review if you please.

* * *

Chapter Ten

Coming Together

"_The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love, and be loved, in return."_

_-Moulin Rouge_

There was a knock on the door.

"Coming!" Gracia Hughes called, setting down the dish she had been about to dunk in soapy water. She quickly wiped her hands on a dishtowel, adjusting her apron as she walked to the door, opening it. "I-oh." She stopped, staring at her visitor, eyebrows coming together over her soft green eyes. A bit of the cold air from outside blew toward her and she shivered. He wasn't surprised; she was wearing a short sundress, hardly appropriate for the winter.

Hohenheim started at seeing her, blinking a few times. "Ah...I'm here to..."

"See one of your sons?" Gracia raised an eyebrow, and then smiled a little. "Al will be happy to see you, he hadn't in a while, and with all that was going on...well, he was worried..." Her smile faded, replaced by a stern look.

Hohenheim immediately recognized that look, and almost chuckled, the feeling of it bitter. He could remember Trisha wearing that look, with very similar green eyes...the feeling may have been bitter, but the memories were purely sweet, for the most part. Memories that he would not forget, just as he had not forgotten his time in Xerxes...

He shook his head, offering the woman a small smile. "I do not intend to abandon my sons now, Mrs. Hughes. I will be here as long as they will- even if perhaps they do not know it."

The woman paused, and lowered her eyes for a moment before looking him full in the face, expression firm. "Please do not misunderstand. I believe you to be a good man, from what I have seen and heard of you. But parents...fathers...husbands...should not leave, unless they have too." Her eyes became distant, and for one moment she looked as if she would cry. But she blinked a few times, and smiled, laughing a little. "Please, come in. It's good that you are here. Al's playing with my daughter for the moment, and I was about to relieve him of duty anyway, as it were." She stepped back, and Hohenheim crossed the threshold, his hands in his pockets. The first thing he noticed was that it was rather hot. Granted, there was snow outside, but the heat was close to sweltering, and he immediately took off his coat, draping it over one arm.

Gracia began to walk up the stairs, calling his youngest son's name. "Al!" She soon disappeared up the stairs, the muffled sound of her voice still barely carrying down to him.

After a few moments, Al appeared at the top of the stairs, his pants and long sleeves a sharp contrast to Gracia's dress. His wrists still looked a bit thin, but his face was rounder than the last time Hohenheim had seen it- and had he gotten taller?

Alphonse grinned, eyes flashing. "Father. It's good to see you." He made to step down the stairs, cane out in front of him. He went down the steps at a moderate pace, waving off Hohenheim when he stepped forward to offer help. "I need to get better at doing this on my own if I'm ever going to get my full strength," Al insisted. He stopped, getting off the last step, fingers curled tightly around his cane, his knuckles white and thin. He tilted his head back a little –not by much, Hohenheim suddenly realized. His son was closer to him in height than he remembered.

Al tilted his head to one side. "Do you want to talk?"

Hohenheim snapped out of his thoughts, and rubbed the back of his neck. "Actually, I was...hoping we could eat lunch together. If that's alright with you," He added quickly.

Al smiled, eyes soft. "I would love that." His smile faded, and his head turned quickly left and right. "We'd better go," he said, his voice lower, Hohenheim leaning forward to hear properly.

Gracia appeared at the top of the stairs. "Alphonse," She said, and Al jumped, looking like a kid that had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar before dinner.

The woman raised an eyebrow. Her tone was gently scolding, though her eyes were amused. Elysia came around the corner, taking her mother's hand and looking at Hohenheim with wide eyes. The little girl was wearing a sundress with thin straps, her hair pinned up in a high ponytail. Gracia made her way down the stairs as she talked, Elysia walking with her.

"Now, I know you weren't just making plans to go out in this weather, were you? You seem to be forgetting that there's snow outside, and that you already played in it earlier with Elysia, for longer than you should have. You're not supposed to be outside in cold weather too much." She stopped at the bottom of the stairs, expression softening. "I'm sorry, I know you want to get out. But Dr. Knox and your brother have made it perfectly clear that your body still cannot make enough heat to deal with the winter here for longer periods of time."

Alphonse's eyes lowered in disappointment- reminding his father of the small child who he had once been able to carry with one arm – before he looked up slightly defiantly. "Mrs. Hughes, I know all of that. But if we get to the restaurant in a hurry, we'll be inside, so I won't have to worry about the cold!"

Gracia pursed her lips. Elysia looked up and smiled at Hohenheim. She didn't seem to be the least bit afraid of him, unlike other children he'd met. Then again...if she'd been around Alphonse while he was in his armor, it wasn't surprising, really. Hohenheim supposed he wasn't as scary looking as a big suit of armor covered in spikes.

"You have a point, Al..." Gracia paused, and then smiled. "Alright. But don't be gone too long."

Al's face split into a grin, and Hohenheim was once again reminded of the child that his son no longer was. "Thank you," Alphonse told Gracia fervently.

Elysia looked up at Al with large eyes. "Where are you going?" She asked.

Al bent down to her level with some difficulty, settling on one knee. He reached out and tugged playfully on her ponytail. "I'm going to eat lunch with my dad," he told her. "I'll be back later."

"Oh." Elysia looked somewhat troubled. "But then I won't see you_ or_ big sis all day!"

Al laughed. "I won't be gone all day, Elysia, I promise. And Winry will be back later. But I'm going to go eat lunch now, okay?"

Elysia looked as if she was thinking it over. Then her bright eyes found Hohenheim again. "He's your daddy?" She asked Al in a loud whisper.

Al nodded, looking back at him with a grin. "Uh-huh. What do you think of him?"

Elysia pondered this, actually putting one little finger to her chin. Her eyes scrutinized Hohenheim thoughtfully. "He's good," She declared finally, smiling. "I like him!"

Al laughed again, tousling her hair. "I do too." He stood, using his cane for balance.

His father's mouth opened, just a little, at a loss for words.

"Do you have a car to drive him?" Gracia asked Hohenheim. "If not, I have one, but-"

"Well, actually...it's just around the corner. I was thinking before that we could walk, but if he shouldn't then..."

Gracia considered this. "It's not snowing at the moment, is it? If it's Maggie's Café you're going to-" Hohenheim nodded, and she continued- "Then I don't see why you can't walk. Provided _you_-" She turned her sharp, 'mother' eyes on Al, who smiled sheepishly. "-Wear all of the clothes that Winry and Ed bought you."

Al's head bobbed up and down. "Of course!" As if to prove his point, he walked as quickly as he could into the living room, stopping in front of what looked like a closet door. Opening it, he pulled out a coat, a scarf, a wooly-looking winter hat, and then bent over to grab a pair of boots, dragging them back across the carpet.

He leaned his cane against the doorframe, slipping the coat on his shoulders, and then the scarf around his neck. He seemed to almost lose his balance, and Hohenheim started forward as if to catch him should he fall, but Al righted himself, buttoning up the jacket. He slid the hat onto this head, tugging it down around his ears, and then taking a few steps backward, using the wall to brace himself as he slid to the floor, untying the boots. Al struggled to slip one on his foot, his arms shaking a little, before a larger hand went over his own, and he turned to find his father behind him.

"Here," Hohenheim said. He kneeled by his son, who turned a little on the carpet, the other boot clutched in his hand. Hohenheim firmly gripped the boot halfway on Al's foot, sliding it on the rest of the way. Wordlessly, he held out his hand for the other one. Al slipped it into his father's hand, watching the older man with a slight crease between his eyebrows.

Hohenheim slipped the other boot on, rocking back on his heels when he was done. Al's fingers went hesitantly up to the laces, still watching his father with a slight frown.

"I'm sorry," Hohenheim murmured. "I know that must have been odd, after all of these years-"

"No," Al interjected, voice soft. "That's not it. I was just thinking...you reminded me of Mom, or brother, or Winry. When I was little, and they helped me with my shoes." He laced up his boots in silence, a slight smile on his face.

Hohenheim didn't know quite what to say to that, so he stayed silent, standing after his youngest son finished tying the laces on his boots, and climbed a bit unsteadily to his feet. Hohenheim reached out a hand to steady him, but Al waved him off. "I'm actually pretty good at walking without a cane. It's really just there in case I slip, since if I fall or try to catch myself, I could break a bone pretty easily right now." He smiled, and took a few steps toward said cane, grabbed it, and turned back to his father. "Let's go."

Gracia, who had watched the entire scene with a slightly sad smile, waved at Al as they went out the door, before walking with her daughter into her kitchen.

Outside, Al took extra care on the steps. Though Ed had brushed snow off of them earlier, they were still a bit slick.

"So..." Hohenheim said once they were on the main sidewalk.

Al looked up at him with a raised eyebrow, eyes twinkling. "Yeah...?"

"Well...how have you...uh, been?"

Al stopped and gave him a _look_. Hohenheim stopped a moment after, seeming faintly embarrassed at his son's expression.

"You know," Al said, one eyebrow still raised, "You're really terrible at small talk."

Hohenheim ducked his head. "Ah, yes, well," He chuckled. "Trisha said the same. I told her it was-" he stopped.

"It was what?"

The older man was silent for a moment. "I told her it was only around people I cared about, and wanted to get to know."

"Oh."

Father and son smiled tentatively at each other, before the son spoke. "Well, I want to get to know you, too."

"Hn." Hohenheim's smile- somehow always a little sad –widened. "I'm glad."

Al chuckled. "So am I." He glanced down the road and the snowy sidewalks. "We'd better get going."

"Oh, yes." They started walking again. Hohenheim's pace was perhaps a little slower than it normally would have been, but not by much. Al was indeed getting stronger.

Al couldn't keep the grin from his face, listening to his boots making crunching noises in the snow. He was outside, with his father, going to eat lunch at a café that Gracia seemed to approve of. Considering that she was quite the cook, Al was rather excited. They turned a corner.

"Ah, this is the place." Hohenheim stopped, and gestured across the street.

It was a medium-sized café, with wide glass windows and plenty of light inside, A wooden sign that hung at the top of the building declared it 'Maggie's Café' in bold green letters, 'Where you can find a hot meal, anytime' in smaller letters beneath it. It seemed to have a steady business- not overflowing with people, but far from slow.

"It looks great!" Al could already feel the cold nipping at his nose, but didn't say anything. They were about to go inside anyway.

They made their way across the street (though traffic was slow due to the snow, Hohenheim kept a sharp eye out for any careening vehicles that could crash into his easily shattered son). Al took a deep breath, nearly closing his eyes in delight, as soon as they entered the café. It was warm, and the smells were delicious. He smirked a little, realizing once again that as of late he was acting very much like Ed as far as food was concerned.

"Where do you want to sit?" Hohenheim asked, eyes scanning the tables around them.

Al smiled. "How about by the windows?" He pointed to a table toward the far corner of the café, against the end of the wide window. They made their way over there, small menus already waiting. After a few minutes, a kind-faced waitress took their drink order, bustling back into the kitchen.

"So..."

Al raised his eyebrows. "Yes...?"

"Well..." Hohenheim trailed off. He chuckled a little. "I'm afraid I don't know where to start."

Al considered this. "How about...I ask you questions, and if there's something that I don't ask about, you can just tell me if you want."

The older man nodded slowly. "Alright." He took a sip of his drink. "Ask away."

His son moved his thumb over the cup in his hands, staring at the murky depths. "Where...have you been?" His voice was quiet. "You visited me sometimes in the hospital, but less and less as time went on...and once we moved to the Armstrong house, those visits lessened still. What were you doing?"

Hohenheim smiled a little sadly. "I should have been here, huh?"

Al shrugged. "Yeah, you probably should have. But that's over with, and you're here today. The past is past."

His father took another sip of his drink, and Al followed suit, waiting for him to speak.

"I was many places," He said finally. "For starters, I went back to Resembool to visit your mother's grave." His voice became very quiet. "I had a few things I wanted to say."

Al nodded, understanding coloring his eyes. "I want to go and visit her grave soon. When we go back there for the wedding, maybe."

"Wedding?" Hohenheim blinked, for one wild moment imaging his older son and Winry tying the knot.

Al waved a hand airily. "I'll tell you later. Anyway, so where else were you?"

Hohenheim frowned, and then continued. "I also went to Liore, to check on the tunnel underground, and closed it up as best as I could. And I visited the ruins of Xerxes. I haven't been there in a long time..." His eyes became distant for a moment.

Al looked at him, a slight crease between his eyebrows.

His father seemed to shake himself out of his thoughts, and he sighed, giving one of his sad smiles. "Between that and being on the trains getting to those places, that pretty much brings you up to speed. I was on my way back here, and ended up near the outskirts of town when Kimblee started attacking. I helped fix some of the buildings, and then I chased after Ed and the others, to see what I could do."

Al bit his lip, and said quietly, "Brother mentioned…that you were the one to kill Kimblee."

Hohenheim nodded. "I was." He gave a self-mocking smirk. "I was not going to let Kimblee hurt one of my sons…especially not after all I have already done to you both as it is."

There was silence for a moment, Al's lips pressed together, watching his father very carefully. Hohenheim took a sip of his drink; the only sign of discomfort the tight grip that was upon the cup. The waitress came and they gave their orders. Once she was gone, Al asked-

"So…what are you going to do now?"

Some kind of amusement colored Hohenheim's eyes. "Your teacher asked me much the same question, and so, I will give you the same answer. I am not sure. I might take up the Fuhrer's offer to become a State Alchemist- depending on how he may change the program."

Al interjected- "Brother told me a little bit about that. Mustang said that the new program would be more focused on teaching about alchemy- and more specifically, why the taboos are so dangerous. If we give alchemists knowledge, there is a chance that they will use that knowledge wrongly, but ignorance can be extremely dangerous. Or thinking that you know what you are doing, and being wrong." He paused for a moment, his eyes dark, and then continued, brightening. "Alchemists are also going to try and establish connections with other countries- reaching out to them with what we have in common. We will try to build better relations this way. Apparently, they're also going to have a branch to study Xingese alchemy too, to try and help with our medicines. That's only part of it, but it's all brother really knows right now. He's not sure that he's going to stick with it…but I think he might."

"And you?" Hohenheim asked. "Did Ed mention that Fuhrer Mustang was interested in having you join?"

Al nodded. "Yes. And I'm definitely thinking about it. There are parts of it that I like, and parts that I don't. Even after all this time…I believe in the potential of alchemy." He smiled a little, tracing the rim of his glass with his finger. "And where better to show people that potential still exists, than from the place where alchemy is considered most corrupt?"

"Does that mean State Alchemists would no longer be soldiers?"

Al frowned. "It's a little complicated in that respect- being state alchemists, they would still be part of the military after all. And alchemists, as people know by now, are powerful in war." Al stopped, and then continued. "But I don't think they'll be used like before. There will certainly be combat alchemists, but they'll be able to choose which they want to be. And if we share some of our alchemical knowledge with other countries…well, who knows what will happen then?" He stopped again, taking a deep gulp of his drink, before setting it down and wiping his mouth on a napkin. "Where are you living right now?"

"A hotel." Hohenheim took a small sip of his own drink, watching his son's hands as they folded on the tabletop. "One of the ones I helped repair after Kimblee's attack. I've been going around and fixing much of the city- or rather, as much as they will let me. Quite a few would be out of a job if all the alchemists continued fixing everything."

Nodding, Al said: "That's what Ed's doing too. I wish I could help, but…" He stopped and looked down.

Hohenheim looked at him with soft eyes. "Your strength has improved greatly. You'll be able to do all you want and more soon enough."

"I know that…my mind is telling me all of these things- that I need to focus on getting better, and if I'm not careful I will just make it worse and my recovery will take even longer…but brother and I have always been working together, for as long as I can remember. Not being able to help him, just sitting back while he walks away or does something dangerous…it scares me. And makes me angry. I want to be able to help, I can't just do nothing! But that's what I have to do. Nothing. Now I think I truly understand how Winry's always felt…but even then, she's found ways to help us, ways that have proved more powerful than she'd ever thought they would be. And that's what I'm trying to do too." His thumbs moved over each other in a slow rhythm. He looked up at his father, eyes quietly, and yet powerfully, blazing. "It's not much and at times I'm still frustrated…but I'm trying to get better as fast as I can. So I can help brother and Winry, and this country. I have to help myself before I can help anyone else. So I have to work as hard as I can at fixing my body…" He stopped, and said quietly, "So that I can spar with Ed again, or run with Winry and Den, and perform alchemy without tiring myself out too quickly…" His shoulders straightened, and his clasped hands tightened. "I'm going to do it. I will do it. I won't give up on this."

Hohenheim looked down at his youngest son, and saw in him a determination that many would not have expected. To him, even as little as he knew Alphonse, it did not come as a surprise. Eyes like the sun looked up at him, brighter and more powerful than that orb in the sky in ways he couldn't explain. Eyes he had not seen in far too long.

It was one of the many times during which he felt like hugging his son.

But, just like all those other times, he didn't. He gripped his cup ever tighter for a moment, before he made himself smile.

"I have no doubt that you will succeed, Alphonse. No doubt at all."

Al blinked, and then smiled slowly, a full grin blossoming over his face, and he chuckled. "I'm glad you believe that. Brother and Winry do too."

Hohenheim frowned. "Where is Edward? Fixing more houses?"

Al's grin became even broader. "Actually, he's in a meeting with the Fuhrer. I just hope he doesn't charge at him with a weapon, like he did with Bradley!"

Hohenheim blinked, and then smiled. "Now _that's_ a story I'd like to hear."

(~(~(~(~(~)~)~)~)~)

Ed glanced at the clock again, fist under his chin, foot tapping on the wood floor.

In front of him, Roy arranged some papers on his desk, nodding his head at an aide whose name Ed couldn't remember- _Boyd? Bennings? B…something_, he knew that.

"Thank you, Burns. You're dismissed."

Burns –_well, at least he'd gotten the 'b' right_- saluted, and walked past Ed to the door.

Roy smirked as soon as the other man had closed the door behind him. "Well, Fullmetal? Curious as to why I called you here? While I still have authority over you, that is. Or shall I have authority for some time now?"

Ed shrugged, rolling his eyes, and waved a hand. "I'll get to that." He paused, looking Mustang in the eye. "How's Hawkeye?"

Roy's expression changed, darkening, his features seeming to tighten at the words. "Better all the time," he said quietly, his voice level despite the emotion on his face. He pushed the papers to a farther part of his desk, rubbing a hand over his forehead as though smoothing out the creases. He gave a short laugh. "As if a bullet could stop Riza of all people."

Ed nodded, glad to hear it, the small knot of worry that had been in his chest loosening. Hawkeye had helped them out too many times for him not to be worried. He smirked suddenly. "Good. Though I'm surprised she's not trying to keep herself in the hospital a little longer to postpone marrying you. But I guess she hasn't come to her senses yet."

Roy's eyes narrowed, his smirk becoming more pronounced. "Why Fullmetal, she came to her senses the moment she said yes. She finally realized that she couldn't resist any longer."

Rolling his eyes, Ed said, quite distinctly, "Perverted bastard."

"Fullmetal shrimp."

"Hey! Who are you calling a shrimp! I've grown!"

"Really? Measuring yourself daily now, are we? Do you stand on a box when you do this?"

Ed's voice was shrill. "I don't need a fucking _box_!"

"My, such language! And to the leader of your country! Kids these days." Roy smirked. "And, no, I suppose you wouldn't need a box, with the lifts in your boots…"

Ed's face was rapidly turning the color of an Ishvalan's eyes. He stood up from his seat, letting out an unintelligible shriek.

Roy laughed, holding out a placating hand. "Relax, Fullmetal. Or my temporary guard will think that I'm being attacked by a banshee."

The blond alchemist slammed himself down in his seat, glaring. "Bastard," he spat out. Roy rolled his eyes, glancing at the clock.

"I have a meeting in twenty minutes, Fullmetal. Let's hurry along, shall we?"

Ed snorted. For a moment there was silence, and Roy laced his fingers together, leaning forward.

Ed hesitated, and then sighed. "Look, give me more details about the alchemy program, Mustang. And about how I'm going to be able to stop owing you money."

Giving a short nod, Roy leaned back in his chair. "I've given you most of the basics, Fullmetal. Being a state alchemist will earn you a place in the military, as well as give you access to research you probably couldn't get otherwise. That much has not changed. However, State alchemists exist now as more than weapons of war." He stood, his eyes distant as he turned to look out the window.

Watching him, Ed nodded to himself. He knew that it was easier said than done, getting rid of the alchemy program completely, whatever its faults and the reason it had been started. Changing it was one of the many first steps required.

"Don't get me wrong, Fullmetal. War will not cease to happen. I shall do everything in my power to prevent it, but as long as humankind exists, they will sometimes be at war."

Ed looked at his knees, clenching his fists. He knew that, much as he hated it. And he also knew that Mustang hated this fact no less than he did.

Roy's fingers were gripped tightly behind his back, his shoulders ramrod straight. "In our new alchemy program, there will be combat alchemists. It is not a crime to be a combat alchemist. But were they to be used in war as alchemists- as only a last resort- there would be no philosopher's stones, of course. And when they were used, it would be only one on one with alchemists that the other side had. No non-alchemists would be allowed to enter the fray. Like when you and I fought, almost. Some might call it a duel. Should either participant in this 'duel' not wish to battle, the battle will not take place, and no combat alchemists will be used. At least, all of this is what is going in the treaties that I'm writing up." He turned around, still not sitting back down. "They're just drafts at the moment, and I will submit them to the council for study. We're not a democracy quite yet, but I hope that we soon will be. I'll explain more about that later." He took a breath, the weight seeming to leave his shoulders just a little.

"Those that wish to enter the alchemy program will be able to choose what field they wish to participate in. Medical, combat, it will be their choice. As you know, we will also have a branch to study Xingese alchemy. Their new emperor is most keen on the idea of us sharing our alchemical views." He smirked. "I suppose it makes things easier when you've helped another country's leader, when making negotiations. Our communication with Xing, at least, should be fairly calm." Roy sighed, continuing.

"We will only accept alchemists over the age of eighteen; and that is just to enter the teaching program. Every year we hope to accept at least five, but no more than fifteen, alchemists a year into this program. They will be taught by alchemical experts to hone their ability toward whatever field they wish. Their rank will rise like that of anyone else in the military, by earning their way forward. That is what a state alchemist will be. I can change that much while I'm still Fuhrer, before the elections get set up next year. As long as it took for me to wear down council members, it's luck that the changes for state alchemists didn't go under more opposition. I suppose it's because so many fear us. They weren't happy about not using alchemists for war, from a strategical standpoint. But most of them are more than tired of war."

"The elections are definitely set up, then?" Ed asked.

"Yes." Roy removed the hand from his eyes. "I'm to remain Fuhrer for the next six months, to ease the country toward democracy. My biggest push so far has been the alchemy program, as well as our relations to other countries, alchemically speaking. The others that have expressed interest in the presidency all seem to agree with those changes for the most part, although Olivia Armstrong wants to crack down on it a bit more, I believe…but all of that will be coming up to the public within the next months." Roy held out a gloved hand in a 'pay up' gesture.

Ed rolled his eyes, and tossed the 520 cens at the older man. "That's just for becoming Fuhrer. So I'll be borrowing some more money for a cab once I leave."

Mustang rolled his eyes, tucking the money into his pocket. He sat down at his desk again, folding his hands together. "So, FullMetal? You staying with the military?" His slightly condescending tone and smirk were downplayed by the seriousness in his eyes.

Ed drummed his automail fingers on his knee, watching the metal glint in the light. "When I joined the military..." he began, his voice steady, but quiet. "It was for one reason- to get information I needed so Al and I could get our bodies back. That was all I wanted. I wasn't interested in being used by the military beyond that. I almost was. I very easily could have had to become a human weapon to protect Al...or Winry. I didn't want that to happen. And I didn't know how I would ever be able to face the people I care about if I had let that happen. But it didn't. I did a lot of yapping about how shitty the system is, how I hated feeling manipulated- and it's true. I still feel the same. But in the slums just before the Promised Day, one of the Ishvalan priests told me: 'Be the change you wish to see in the world.' I like that." He smiled a little, and then looked up, his eyes level. "I owe a lot to a lot of people here...and to some people that aren't here anymore, like Brigadier General Hughes. A lot of people have helped me in the military, and I know that the state alchemists aren't all the terrible people that they're said to be." He stopped, and his eyes found the window, looking beyond it.

"I don't think I'd be happy doing something that didn't help people. As stupid or naive it is, especially after all I've seen, it's true. Even after everything, alchemy is what I want to do. I can't say I'll ever agree to anything you say, but I'm going to be an alchemist as long as I live. With how things are changing, I think it might be worth it to stay with the military. I'm not a hero like you're saying I am...but if I couldn't go forward and help others with my alchemy, after all alchemy has done to destroy, then I'd never be satisfied. There's a chance that I can help things, and I'm going to take that chance. I owe it to everyone who made my and Al's journey possible." He laughed suddenly. "And hell, if it doesn't work out I could always become some crime fighting vigilante like in the movies."

"And how..." Roy drawled, "Would you be any different as a state alchemist, then as a 'vigilante'?" He seemed to be fighting a smirk.

Ed pretended to think for a moment. "Well, the military pays better," he said, shrugging, his own slightly crazed smirk stretching across his face.

Roy chuckled. "Too true." He stood, and then paused, his smirk melting into a gentle, reminiscent smile. "My alchemy teacher used to say that an alchemist lives to search for the truth, and once they stop thinking, they die." His smile grew. "I suppose that means you and your brother will live to a decrepit age, and torment this office for years to come."

"Damn straight." His mocking grin threatened to split his face in two.

Roy rolled his eyes. "God help us all." He smirked for a second, before sighing, and glancing back out the window. Ed looked at the clock again.

"The funeral is soon, right?" He asked.

Roy nodded, his eyes looking sad and weary. "Yes. Next week. We'll be giving them all...proper send offs…" He closed his eyes, his hands gripping each other tightly. "I've seen too many funerals, more than most old men. All my talk of change and peace, and so many die, right under my nose. While I was at a party. I'm surprised that wasn't the headline- 'People Die, while the Fuhrer Parties'. More people are dead. We defeated the homunculi, and so many have died still. I keep thinking of all the ways I could have stopped it…could have kept it from happening. Then maybe Falman would still be alive…and Fuery wouldn't be getting automail." He opened his eyes, smiling tiredly, without humor. "I'm the most powerful man in the country and I couldn't even stop another one of my subordinates…my friend…from dying. Maybe I'm lucky that the elections are coming. Maybe I'm not cut out for this job."

He wasn't saying it like a confession, as if it were a private matter that only Ed was allowed to hear; and yet there was something personal in the fact that he was talking about it at all.

"Bastard, don't try and get me to pity you." Ed leaned on one fist, looking at Roy, smirking when Roy glanced at him. "Maybe you sucked this week. Do better the next. There's no point in trying to go backward. Life doesn't work that way."

Roy nodded, straightening. "I know FullMetal, don't lecture me. Riza's done plenty of that, even in the hospital. And I do know that I can't go back. There's no point in wondering about the 'what ifs'. I can only hope that I've learned from the past." He let out a deep breath, leaning back. "As they say, 'experience is the greatest teacher.' I'm not about to give up, FullMetal- you'll be owing me money soon again, and I want to be sure I get it." His smirk was back, but only for a moment. "You'll be coming, I take it?"

"Yeah. Winry and Al wanna come too. We…" he stopped, avoiding his superior officer's eyes. "We didn't get to say goodbye to Hughes." He laughed suddenly, but it wasn't a happy laugh, and he looked back up. "I don't know which is worse. I said goodbye to my mom and I still felt like shit. Either way, you feel like shit, yet you've always got this compulsion to go to funerals, to say goodbye to someone that can't even hear you." He smiled bleakly. "I guess it's 'cause you feel like you owe 'em, after all they did for you. And maybe…" he stopped, his eyebrows coming together, seeming oblivious to Roy's presence. "Maybe it's 'cause its hard to let them go. So we pretend that they can hear us, because then we can feel like they're still with us somehow, even while their body rots in the ground."

Roy looked at him for a moment, and then said, "I'll be addressing the people and the press in the afternoon. You read the latest newspaper?"

Ed nodded. "Yeah, Al showed me. Seems like they've gained eyes and ears now the homunculi are gone. But better late than never. Guess it's 'cause Bradley's not controlling things. You'll never get them to trust you if you hide things from them."

"I know." The weariness that Roy was usually so good at hiding shone through as he ran a hand over his eyes. "Giving advice to the Fuhrer, huh? But it's true. For them to trust me, I've got to trust them, naïve as it sounds."

Ed nodded. "Yeah. But…I guess…" he paused. "The homunculi…telling the whole truth might not be an option, huh? Not at first at least."

"According to some I've already told too much." Roy's hand found the pocket watch at his waist. His fingers traced the chain. "They wouldn't believe it if the homunculi hadn't come out in the open. If Gluttony and Sloth and Pride and Envy-" he spat the last name, "hadn't been above ground, they wouldn't believe it. They got pictures and a large death toll. And now they're wondering how they can trust the government at all- especially when at the head of it is a man who helped participate in genocide. Editorials are calling for me to step down, to be punished for my crimes and how can I argue with them? But no one has the power to oppose me, to 'dethrone' me, which is why I'm changing it. It's slow, slower than I would like. A few months ago I spoke about wanting to change this country, give people more power. Now that my plans are being realized, I can tell them what I'm trying to do in full. And maybe they'll start to trust me." Roy sighed. "People need to trust each other, trust those worth trusting, if things are ever going to change."

Ed smiled. "Good to see you're not sitting on your ass, colonel."

Roy rolled his eyes. "Wouldn't dream of it, Fullmetal. Riza is obligated to shoot me in the back if I do."

Ed's eyes found the clock again, just as the door opened and Burns stuck his head in the door. "Sir? The ambassador from Ishval is here to see you now."

Roy nodded. "Thank you. Tell him it will be just a moment."

Burns nodded and retreated.

"Just one last thing, Fullmetal," Roy added when the door closed. "Our trip to Drachma seems to be all ready. How is it on your end?"

Ed smirked. "Yeah, we're good."

Drachma was the story as to why Roy would be leaving in a few weeks for about fifteen to twenty days, depending on how negotiations went. Roy and Riza really would be going to the north to talk with Drachma, but first they would get married in Resembool. Ed and the others would go ahead of them, while Riza and Roy would take a train to another town on their way north. Then, because their train would get stuck on the way toward Briggs, they would double back to 'check on the Fullmetal Alchemist'. They would stay one night, during which they would marry, though that last part was known only to a select few. After they'd gotten married, they would head north again.

After Al was fully recovered, Ed supposed he would return to Central for active duty, or else another military branch. Al was planning on accepting the charge of State Alchemist, and would be doing the same. And Winry…she had a number of options. He knew that wherever she went, he would go, or at least not be far behind.

They had their lives to live, and he knew he wanted to live his with Winry. Her and Al were his family, with Sig, Izumi, and granny Pinako of course. They would be together, all of them, even if they weren't physically near each other. Him and Al had talked, and they were going to get houses near each other, or live together depending on the market, for a while. And Winry could have her own shop…

Ed stood, nodding to Roy with a casual, "Later, bastard."

Roy stood too, choosing to ignore the insult for once. "You've been glancing at the clock every other minute. What's wrong?" he smirked. "Got a girl waiting for you, Fullmetal?"

Ed turned, a flush already creeping up his face. But he didn't shout. Instead, he smiled, and nodded. "Yeah," he said. "I do."

(~(~(~(~(~(~)~)~)~)~)~)

He turned on his heel, and walked out the door.

"Winry!"

She looked up from the mostly finished new leg in front of her. "Yes?" She straightened a little, tucking her hair behind her ear.

Susan, the kind-faced nurse, smiled. "You have a phone call at the front. And your grandmother says that half a cold hospital roll does not count as breakfast or lunch."

Winry smiled in spite of herself. "Thanks. And tell my grandmother that the same goes for her!"

Susan chuckled. "Will do." Another nurse passing by called her name, and she nodded to Winry, then left.

Winry bent back over the leg, quickly fixing two miss-crossed wires, and then stood, stretching her arms above her head, rolling her shoulders back as she walked out the door and toward the front desk. Her hospital apron was wrinkled, but clean, the heavy material swaying as she walked. It both amused and irritated her that even when it seemed everything was going to hell, some of the hospital staff had had problems with the skirts she wore. At least it was getting too cold for skirts anyway- or at least ones without leggings. The hospital was catching up on the death and the injuries, and very soon they would not need her anymore, as an only partially-trained automail engineer. She sighed a little, and then smiled. Having the nation's most powerful alchemists back had been a gigantic help in restoring some kind of order. Two days ago, Izumi, Hohenheim, Armstrong, Ed, and (for a little while until Ed started shrieking that it was too cold and with how his brother's skin was turning red no one wanted to argue) Al had all fixed the hospitals, more school houses, a number of apartment buildings, and much of the slums. Everyone was grateful, despite the new gargoyles that adorned the balconies of the hospitals, as well as the dragon statues now in front of the elementary school. Turned out, Ed and his father also had similar taste, though Hohenheim had the decency to get rid of his, smiling all the while. Izumi's husband, Sig, had held Ed back after he tried to attack the man for "stealing his ideas and being a bastard". Winry didn't think Ed would have actually done what he was threatening to do. Generally he was a "military dog" whose bark was worse than his bite. The thought made her smile, because she also knew that when he really did bite, it was for the right reasons, and with enough force to awe any that suffered from it.

While the alchemists had been fixing more parts of the city, Winry and her grandmother had been working still at the hospital. Her grandmother handled more diverse patients than Winry did, and the sight of it resolved Winry into thinking that she wanted to study more than just automail. Though she had a fair amount of medical knowledge, she needed more. Fuery, the nice young military man, had been conscious enough to talk to her a little, though she had felt rather sick to inform him that his friend, Mr. Vato Falman, hadn't survived Kimblee's attack. Her grandmother, who had been one of the ones to try and save him, had been with her, to tell of his final moments. Fuery had become quiet after that, suffering in silence the agony of automail surgery. It was something that, perhaps wrongly, made her smile, because Fuery didn't seem particularly tough, and yet he took the pain well, better than many she'd seen.

The other night, he'd thanked her. Like many, he had gone through the listless gazing at his leg, unable to believe that it was gone, but he seemed to be coming to terms with it. And he had thanked her for building his leg, and for being there those nights that he coughed up blood.

"No problem," she'd said softly. "Thank _you_. For defending this country, this city."

A nearby hospital had been able to open up a room for Darius, which Winry visited regularly. And, just yesterday, she'd seen one of her automail patients from Rush Valley, the young Tetsu, who she could've sworn had grown about two feet since she'd last seen him. His problem had been a simple one, and he'd returned with his parents to the hotel with words of caution from Winry about keeping the automail clean. "If there's too much sand in it, it won't move very well," she'd reminded him. Other than Tetsu, she had also seen Carl, the old man with an automail arm, and Mindy, a little girl with some automail fingers.

Her grandmother had commented dryly that Winry seemed to be getting rather popular, but there was gruff pride in her voice that made Winry feel like she was glowing.

The woman behind the front counter nodded toward the phone. Winry picked it up, pressing the receiver to her ear. "Hello?"

"Winry? Oh, it's been far too long, dearie."

"Mr. Garfiel" A smile transformed her face. "It's great to hear from you! It's been a number of weeks now. How is everyone in Rush Valley? Tetsu was here the other day, but what about everyone else?"

"Well, not quite the same without your sweetness, dear, it's as busy and hot as ever. That hunky older man of an automail engineer, Mr. Dominic, came by not too long ago, saying something about his grandson missing a playmate. Though, he was carrying some blueprints for automail design dearie, as I'm sure you knew." Garfiel giggled. "I offered the man some tea, not fooled one little bit, you know."

Winry laughed. "Did he actually stay?"

"Yes, actually. You know I nearly alerted the newspaper, hun, I was so shocked! Anyway, we just went on and on about you, so I hope you're blushing madly form all the attention you're getting here."

Winry could not see Dominic going on about anyone besides his son or grandson, but she knew what Garfiel meant.

"And how are those two burly military men that I sent your way? I'm managing fine now, but at the time it seemed I had rather bit off more than I could chew. I must say that I was most surprised- who knew that army men were so ruggedly handsome? Especially that blond one…they were almost animal-like…"

Winry bit her lip to keep from laughing.

"I could see a roaring lion in the blond's eyes…and speaking of blonds my dear, please, please tell me you've tackled that alchemist boy who's so sweet on you. If I were in your place, I'd have ripped off his tight black leather pants _so_ long ago-"

"Garfiel" Winry blushed. She was well used to such talk, and it didn't bother her to hear it, but she was in a hospital, surrounded by sick and dying people. She almost burst out laughing at how Garfiel would respond, saying that the sick and dying needed visual stimulants the most and that he was perfectly willing to give them a show they'd never forget.

"Well, come on Winry, dear. Do tell me."

She smiled. "I'll tell you this much: I kissed him. But-"

"Oh, about time! Tell me, hun, how was it? I must have details- no Panninya," he said to the girl on his end, "She didn't make love with the boy yet. I know! I'm not sure why she's resisting-"

"Garfiel" Winry interjected, trying to sound serious, even though she was smiling. "I'm sorry, I really do want to talk to you, but I'm working right now."

"Oh my! Dearie, so sorry. I just wanted to talk about the good stuff before we get to the bad, but more on that later. Call me when you get a moment, and don't work yourself too hard."

"That goes for you, too," Winry said, leaning closer to the phone. "Go on a date with that bolts guy down the street."

"Already had a date with him, and another planned for this weekend. He sells screws too, you know." Garfield gave a happy sigh. "Oh, Panninya says she is going to call you tonight at that nice woman's house- Mrs. Hughes, so keep the line open! Love you, dearie, see you."

Winry smiled. "Love you guys too. Give Panninya a hug for me. Bye." The line clicked.

Still grinning, Winry put the phone down, nodding to the nurse at the front desk as she made her way back to the operating room. Things were finally coming together. She wasn't so foolish, as it felt she had been last time, to believe that no bad could come. The deaths and the injuries and the hurt were still too fresh, and she had relearned a lesson she'd thought she knew. What would come, would come. She couldn't stop it. All she could do was live, and work hard, and that was more than enough. In the end, it was all she wanted- to live happily and aware, utilizing her strengths and her thoughts, holding onto those she loved, who held her back, with equal serenity.

A glance at the clock told her that she had a half hour before she was due back at Gracia's. She had that leg to finish, and then she could go to a house that was not hers, where her family was waiting.

(~(~(~(~(~)~)~)~)~)~)

The little hand moved with purpose across the floor, pushing the small toy with concentration that adults saved for their work. Tiny wheels turned over the carpet, and the stuffed animal on top of the toy train car tipped dangerously sideways.

His hand automatically shot out to catch it, but Elysia's hand was already there. She smiled brightly at him anyway, urging with her other hand that he follow behind her with his own train car. Al looked down at the train he'd drawn on a piece of paper, biting the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing as he stood the paper up, curling it just a little with his fingers so that it wouldn't flop over, pushing it along behind Elysia. He imitated a train whistle, and the little girl giggled, urging him to do it again.

Clearing his throat, Al did so, smiling at Elysia's delighted expression.

His father sat cross legged two feet away from them, concentrating as much on the half-finished block tower as Ed and Al did on Alchemy. His eyebrows were drawn together, and he carefully placed another block on top of the winding tower. Elysia's dolls were going to have a great castle- or else. Al bit back a snicker at the sight.

It had taken some convincing to get his father to play with Elysia for a while. But Maes Hughes hadn't been kidding when he boasted about his daughter being cute- those eyes were hard to resist.

The snow outside had ceased, but clouds were still overhead, and the windows were thick with frost. Al couldn't wait to see the sun again, and looked forward to the trip to Resembool in a few weeks. It wouldn't be as warm as it was in the summer, but Resembool didn't usually get much snow. Of course, tomorrow would be great fun as well…or so Al hoped. He glanced at his dad again, biting his lip. Ed wouldn't want him to come, but if he didn't show up it would be another argument against him. Ed could be cordial with him when he wanted, and Al had a hunch that things would slowly edge toward small talk, with a lack of open hostility on Ed's part.

Al hoped Ed wouldn't be too angry. He smirked. If Winry kept him busy enough, or at least kissed him long enough, he might not even notice.

"Al?" Gracia's voice called from down the stairs. She'd gone shopping for around a half hour to prepare for the big event the next day.

"Up here!" Al called back, getting to his feet. Hohenheim followed behind him as they went down the stairs, Elysia bouncing on the balls of her feet. Gracia smiled at the sight of them, holding out a grocery bag for Hohenheim to carry. "Do you mind?" She inquired, adjusting her purse and picking up another bag from the ground.

"Not at all," Hohenheim smiled a little, taking the bag into the kitchen.

Gracia's smile grew a little as she followed him, hesitating before allowing Al to take a bag as well- albeit a smaller one. "Tell me, boys, how are you both with a spatula? Or a rolling pin?"

Hohenheim, unloading the items from the bag, picked up said spatula from the counter top, twirling it in his fingers. "Most gracious host, my spatula skills are renown the world over."

Al bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. With how long he'd been alive, Al wouldn't have been surprised if his father had become famous for many things. As his father gave an uncharacteristically superfluous bow, he knocked one of the items off of the counter, sending it crashing to the floor. Unable to win his battle with laughter, Al clutched the refrigerator for support.

Gracia giggled, shaking her head, raising her eyebrows at Hohenheim, who chuckled in spite of himself, bending over to pick up the fallen groceries.

"Oh," Gracia added, setting her own armful of bags on the countertop. "Al, a letter for you arrived." She picked up a wide envelope marked with a strange stamp in the shape of a dragon.

Al took the letter, a smile spreading across his face. "I'm pretty sure this is a letter from Mei- she promised that she would send one." He tucked the letter under his arm, helping unload the rest of the groceries. When they were done, he excused himself for a moment to read the letter. Mei's handwriting was a fairly clear print, though it appeared somewhat hurried.

_Dear Al-_

_Today marks two months since we finished crossing the desert. Much has happened, though we managed to navigate the sands with few casualties. Xiao Mei suffered a brief bit of drought, but Emperor Ling ordered the best of care for her. Though he belongs to the Yao clan, he is our new emperor, and many of his decisions thus far have been wise. He has promised to help my clan- all of the clans. And….I find myself believing in his promises._

_I apologize for not contacting sooner; like in Amestris, much has been happening, and our couriers weren't able to safely cross back through the desert to give my other letters to you. I wrote almost daily. I have been established as the Xingian expert on Alkehestry within the palace- an act that has already elevated my clan. As we hear tale of your Roy Mustang making new laws, so too is Ling Yao changing things. Some of his actions have been met with much opposition, and his bodyguards have been running themselves ragged keeping him safe. Though I suppose with Greed still dormant, he could protect himself quite easily. Still, Ran Fan does not leave his side. She and I are on cordial speaking terms now, and it is only fair. Being in Amestris and with you has taught me much, the least of which being that I must work with others if I can ever hope for things to change. I suppose Ran Fan and I are not as different as I first thought. One of the new laws Ling is attempting to implement is changing the marriage tradition. Our emperor has always married one woman from each of the clans, and this change of tradition sits uneasily with me, although he has not successfully passed the law yet. At the same time, I cannot pretend to be blind to his reason. I guess it's fair to say that I am unsure. Things are rarely black and white for me any longer. Emperor Ling mentioned that it is a part of growing up. Indeed, my fourteenth birthday is approaching, and I feel as if I have changed much in the past months, more than I can explain. It rather snuck up upon me. I know that much of my changing is due to you, Alphonse, and Winry, and Scar, and even your brother. Please, give Winry my regards. A letter for her should be arriving in a few days, and tell your brother to listen to her if he ever wants to get any taller!_

_Last week, Ran Fan's grandfather was gravely injured during a scuffle in the streets. It was an attempt to poison both Lord Ling and Ran Fan. Master Fuu fought bravely, and took the poison into his own body. He is recovering, but it is a slow process, and even now the outcome is uncertain. You may have heard of this already, but I wanted to convey my own feelings to you, as there are few to whom I can share it with here. Xiao Mei is really the only one, although I make new friendships often. I cannot help but think- what if it had been me they were trying to kill? I am of no use to Xing, or this world, if I am dead. On top of that, it shames me to admit that I am frightened to die- entering such a world of blackness instills a fear that I thought to have been ridden of after childhood. What if it had been me, and a friend that I loved had sacrificed themselves in my place? I think it has given me more of an insight to the position, and a greater respect for the Yao clan as a whole._

_I fill the letter with news, and I hope you are not bored with it. You see, Alphonse, I wish to hear of such types of news from you, no matter how boring. All aspects of your life are precious to me, and I cannot wait to hear about it! How is your body recuperating? You're not doing too much activity, are you? What is something that made you laugh today? What is something that makes you sad? What are you going to do once your are recovered? Have you attempted alchemy yet? How is Winry doing? And your brother? Has there been much trouble with Bradley supporters or the like?_

_I promise to write again soon. May your blood flow strong, and your heart know happiness. May your dreams be real, and your mind quick. (This is a Xingese saying, used mostly for goodbyes in more formal situations, but I thought you might like it)_

_Sincerely,_

_Mei Chan_

Al smiled to himself, folding up the letter again. The smile turned to a frown as he thought of Fuu. They had heard about it from Roy, and had sent along condolences, all the while feeling that it wasn't enough. Mei likely hadn't known that when she wrote the letter. He bit his lip, thinking that Ran Fan hardly needed more to worry about. He hoped that Fuu recovered fully- he was a loyal and good man.

He would have time to write a reply later. He tucked the letter into his pocket, his smile returning. _Her fourteenth birthday…it must have already passed. I'll have to send her a late present._ He was startled out of his thoughts by the sound of a knock at the door.

"Al?" It was Winry. "Can I come in?"

"Of course." He opened the door, smiling broadly, drawing her in for a tight hug. She grunted slightly, batting him playfully on the arm. When they stepped back, he frowned. There were dark circles under her eyes, just like Ed, and again he was reminded painfully of the little work he could do. They both worked so hard, and he spent his days playing with a little girl. His fists clenched, and he relaxed them.

"How was the hospital?"

She smiled, tucking her hair behind her ear. "Better everyday. Fuery came around a few times, and he should be fairly stable in about two weeks. Stable enough to be in his bed at least." She sighed. "The injured from Kimblee's attack are all finding places thanks to you alchemists, and seem to be doing well." She smiled again. "Any sign of Ed, yet?"

Al shook his head, running a hand through his hair. "Not yet. He should be here soon though, so I should probably get downstairs. You coming?"

"I will in a few minutes. See you."

He nodded, hugging her again. He would never tire of hugging her now. He had almost lost so many people lately. He wanted to keep them close for a moment, feel their heart beating as if to reassure himself that they were alive. Smiling, he stepped back and walked around her, leaving the room and going down the stairs.

(~(~(~(~(~(~)~)~)~)~)~)

She knew they wouldn't like the idea. But she also knew that if she didn't do this thing, she would always wonder. And that would eat at her forever. That knowledge hadn't made her decision any easier, but with Ed and Al, she could do it. And even if she had to go alone, she would, though the thought made her tremble inside.

But she would bring it up tonight. Tomorrow was for Ed, after all. Winry smiled, feeling some of the tension leave her. Her toes curled in the carpet, shoulders drawing together. Her feet traced idle shapes for a moment, and then she fell back on the bed, Den hopping up beside her. She had been staying at Gracia's the night of the party and hadn't been caught in the explosions, a fact that made Winry forever grateful. She scratched behind her ears, giggling as she licked her shoulder. It was rather hard to remember her childhood without Den- in many ways, she'd been as constant as Ed and Al.

After a few minutes, she sat up and finished changing, heading downstairs. Al smiled at her from the hallway, where he was on his way to the kitchen. "Everything set for tomorrow?" she asked.

He nodded, motioning for her to follow him into the kitchen. Her grandmother nodded to her over by a large pot, in which she dropped some sliced vegetables.

"Ed's going to be here in a minute," Al said, glancing back at her and smiling. "We talked to everyone that we can invite, and it seems like we'll have a pretty good crowd." He turned to Gracia. "I can't thank you enough for doing this."

Gracia waved a hand from where she was stirring a pot of broth. "It's no problem, Al. Ed deserves this. You all do."

"We all do, I think," Winry said, smiling. It was true. After the disastrous party at the Armstrong estate, they did all need this.

Hohenheim was flipping some meat on a pan, a look of utter concentration on his face. It reminded Winry so much of Ed, that she outright stared. Ed went at everything that way- giving it his whole and his heart. That was why he so often succeeded, and why it was so easy for him to hurt.

There was a slight scuffling sound from outside the front door. Al and Winry exchanged a look, grinning, heading toward the door. Seeing Ed back safe was a kind of joy that words couldn't properly express, understood only by those that had lost as much or more than they, and knew of the fear that plagued them that one day they wouldn't hear Ed's footsteps anymore.

He looked about as tired as she felt. He rubbed his flesh hand over his eyes, yawning, but he smiled when he saw them, his eyes brightening. "Hey."

"Hey yourself," Winry said, leaning forward and kissing him lightly on the lips. He froze a little under the contact, cheeks bright red. She chuckled a little, taking his hand while Al playfully punched his chest. They hadn't talked about it yet, but Winry knew what she wanted. And she rather thought she knew what he wanted too. It was always hard to not get carried away with the kisses, and the thoughts of where such things would lead brought a blush to her own cheeks, though in pleasure rather than embarrassment. She was hardly a prude after all- how could she be, with her grandmother and her friends? Winry glanced at him and Al. They were talking to each other, and she smiled as they both looked over at her for a moment before continuing. The two men she loved best, together, with her. She would tell them soon. The thought of saying her decision out loud tensed her entire body, and she fought to remain outwardly calm.

Ed squeezed her hand. Her eyes went wide, and she looked at him. He could tell she was upset, and he was comforting her, if only a little. He tilted his head to one side, almost like Den did, eyebrows furrowed. She smiled, squeezing his hand back.

She would tell them tonight. Quite suddenly, she wasn't afraid. They all shared a bond, one that couldn't be broken by any means she could think of. She knew that they would stick by her, just as she'd known they would succeed on the Promised Day. They would be angry and afraid, all of the things she was already, but they would be with her. She knew it.

No matter what, they would do it together. She needed them, and she knew now that they also needed her.

(~)~(~(~(~(~(~(~(~(~)

* * *

Well, there's the end of the chapter!

Left you with some EdWin goodness to feel all squishy inside. :)

Reviews!

d-vader: as you can see, I've updated now. Sorry for the wait. :)

BornOnTheBreakOfDawn: Hehe, I'm glad you liked it so much, and that you were so caught up in it. My writing's changed alot over time, so I'm glad you enjoyed. Indeed, 'finally' as far as EdWin is concerned.

EatfoodZap: TEH LETTER FROMZ MEI IS HEREZ. :D I kicked myself for forgetting to add that. I actually re-wrote the letter, and I like this one more. I like that part with Izumi too. Thanks!

Skynet88: Thank you. Sorry for the long wait. :)

Meso the Hanyu: Thanks so much! Heh, yeah...about posting it soon...well...better late than never, right?

Took-Baggins: One more _now_ actually. :) And yes, read it as many times as you want! Yeah, the thing was supposed to be a total surprise.

Saukura22222: Aw, no problem. Sorry you had to wait so long!

obsidianlight: Yeah, I like that scene too. Thank you, hope you like this as well.

Larxenethefirefly: Hee, glad you liked it so much! Wish there had been more Royai in the ending of the manga...oh well. Thanks!

Eriisu: Oh, wow. Thanks, that's quite a compliment. Hope you like this chapter too!

SJSmith: Heyo. I'm so used to seeing you as evil_little_dog, I forgot who you were for a second. :P I really like fight scenes too. I used to struggle with them, but they come pretty naturally now. Thanks!

amenta bennu: Hee, YAY indeed. Hopefully this chapter will inspire another one. :)

YourFavouritePlushie: Thanks! Ending with cliffhangers is a lot of fun, even if its torturous for readers! I think writers have to be rather evil sometimes...:P Glad you like, and hope this chapter meets your expectations. :D

FantasysAngel7: Hey, its the girl that's finished a year at school, right? Congrats! Gotta love worried Roy. Hope you like this chapter as well!

Whew, that's all of you guys! Thanks for sticking with me. Hope you'll stay around for the last chapter. I can't make any promises about when it will be out. I'm trying to finish my novel by the end of the summer, so that really comes first. I know it sucks when you love a story and the updates are long, so I'm sorry. Keep an eye out for my one-shots. I write them for livejournal fma_fic contests, and they're easier to churn out than these freaking long chapters.

Thanks again to all of you. This story wouldn't be here still without you.

Enjoy, and review if you'd like.

Next Chapter Preview: Ever After- Winry has plans after Ed's birthday that neither of the Elric boys will like, but she has to do it, so she's going forward anyway, even if she has to go alone. Not long after, Roy and Riza's wedding is coming up fast, as everyone heads toward Risembool. "The almost miraculous fact is that I can stand here today, still burdened with my sorrows, my regrets, but stand here happily, with the hope that as long as I- and everyone -walks forward, even in our moments of despair, we will know that this may not be the end. That we may live another day, whether some or even yourselves believe that you do not deserve it, we may live to be happy."


	12. Ever After

Wow. This is it. Don't really know what to say. This was one of my first chapter fanfictions ever, and yet it took me ages to complete. There's a few discrepancies in this story, looking back on it. And one of my next projects is going to be looking through it and editing plot mistakes. There's a lot that I like about this chapter, and a lot that eventually didn't make it in because this thing was beastly already and I wasn't going to split the chapter again. Anyway, overall I'm rather fond of this story, even though I don't think its my strongest work. I went into it without much outlining (hence the plot mistakes that need to be edited) and there are parts in the middle that feel rushed. Still, I'm glad to be done and I feel like I can look back on this and be fairly happy with it. I hope you all enjoyed the ride.

Oh, and as I no longer have a beta, due to please-knock being too busy, there may be a few grammar mistakes. I looked for them as best as I could, but *shrug*. We'll see.  
One of the most important things to note here plot-wise is that I changed it from being Dr. Marcoh that removes Scar's alchemic ability, to it being Mei, which makes much more sense.

DISCLAIMER: Don't own. :)

* * *

Chapter Eleven

Ever After

"_Love is everything it's cracked up to be. That's why people are so cynical about it. It really is worth fighting for, being brave for, risking everything for." ~Erica Jong _

"Happy birthday, Ed!"

The room was filled with nothing but laughter, and the clink of plates and glasses. Ed sat at the head of the table, still looking slightly stunned at the cheerful chaos around him.

Col. Armstrong slapped him on the back, nearly sending Ed face-first into his birthday dinner; homemade stew. Catching himself on the table just in time, Ed looked up in mild irritation at the Colonel, then broke into a grin and said something to him that Winry couldn't catch.

The rest of the room was crowded. Izumi and Sig and her grandmother were at Ed's right, in deep conversation with Al. Havoc was further down that side, speaking with Riza's friend Rebecca, who had her eyebrows raised. Maria Ross and Denny Brosh were also there, chatting with Sheska, who seemed to be informing them about the latest books she'd read. Gracia and Elysia were sitting as well, on the left side of the table. As Winry watched, Elysia slid off her mother's lap and tottered over to Ed, holding out a party hat with the facial expression that seemed to say 'wear this or else' in the way that only a small child could. Al, who already had his hat on, slapped Ed lightly on the shoulder to encourage him. Ed, with what looked like minor grumbling, accepted the hat from Elysia, slipping it on and smiling as the little girl made her way back to her mother, now satisfied. Den was curled up happily in the corner, watching the proceedings, tail wagging occasionally.

Roy and Riza were really the only ones missing. Due to the trip coming up soon, they were working day and night to get as much out of the way as they could, and had sent a message saying they wouldn't be able to make it, along with a gift.

Winry saw Hohenheim, down at the farthest end of the table, watching his sons with a slightly bittersweet expression. Sticking her head back in the kitchen to make sure her apple pies still had a few minutes, she walked toward him, and nudged his leg lightly with her foot. "Hey."

He looked up at her, and smiled. "Yes?"

Winry jerked her head toward the head of the table. "No need to be such a loner. Go sit over there. Wish Ed happy birthday."

Hohenheim glanced at his eldest son. "I don't think that would go over well."

Winry smiled a little. For the most part, Ed had acted as if Hohenheim wasn't there. Apart from a few glares, and a muttered 'bastard' when he'd first arrived, it was much more subdued than his usual reaction. "I think not saying it would be worse."

His brow furrowed, as if he hadn't considered that. "Perhaps."

"Ed's always been good about holding grudges. But once he has faith in you, almost nothing will change that."

A sad look came to his eyes again. "_Almost_ nothing."

"Enough of that," Winry said sharply. He looked up at her in surprise. "You can keep beating yourself up for things that happened years ago, or you can be here now. You can't ever make up for the past. I yelled at you for it, Ed yelled at your for it, and Al's forgiven you for it. You're a good man. You're here now, so be a good father, too. I know you can do it." She hesitated. "Its okay to feel guilty. But you can't let that run your life anymore."

He didn't say anything, and after a few moments Winry popped back into the kitchen to check on the pies. _Perfect timing. _Both pies were done, and smelled wonderful. Carefully setting them out to cool, Winry went back into the dining room, seeing that Ed was now eating his stew with gusto, something that made her smile. Everyone else seemed to be pretty immersed in eating as well. She felt Ed catch her eye, and saw him looking up from his food, and nodding toward the place on his left, reserved for her, her own bowl of stew still hot.

For a while there was nothing but the sound of spoons hitting bowls, and requests to pass the salt. Impulsively, Winry hooked her foot around Ed's ankle, and fought back a laugh and he jumped, and blushed. A moment later he smiled, glancing at her, and then went back to eating.

After everyone had finished and felt pleasantly full, they found themselves drawn to the living room, mostly due to Elysia's insistence that this was "how birthdays are 'sposed to be". Unable to argue with the directing toddler, Ed had let himself be led by the hand and sat down on the sofa. On the coffee table sat a small pile of gifts, and Ed looked at the pile in undisguised glee. Winry fought the urge to roll her eyes, smiling, sitting on his left, Al on his right.

"Mine and mommy's first!" Elysia demanded, pushing a medium sized package wrapped in purple paper his way, a white bow stuck on the top.

"Elysia," Gracia warned, "Its Edward's birthday. He gets to choose what he opens first."

"Nah, its okay," Ed waved a hand at Gracia. He grinned, taking the package from Elysia, who was jumping up and down in excitement.

Inside was a new, dark red, leather-bound journal, perfect for alchemy notes. "I noticed you were almost done with the one you have now," Gracia commented, smiling. "I thought it would be good to have a new one, for a new year."

Ed brushed the leather cover with his fingers, eyes soft. "Thanks."

"Look inside!" Elysia insisted, tapping the book with her tiny palm. Ed obliged, opening the book to reveal a folded piece of paper inside the cover. He unfolded it, and Winry felt her smile widen. It was a picture Elysia had drawn of Ed, standing next to Winry and Al, Elysia and Gracia drawn next to them. Each figure in the drawing was labeled in a shaking script. _Mommy. Me._ Over Winry, she had written '_Big Sister'_, and over both Ed and Al she had written '_Big Brother'_.

Ed looked as if he didn't know what to say. He cleared his throat, and looked at the little girl in front of him. She looked a lot like her mother, but there was plenty of Mr. Hughes in her face too.

Ed reached forward, and rubbed her head. "Thanks, Elysia." She giggled, and he tugged lightly on her pigtail, laughing when she lightly slapped his hand away, and then immediately scooted closer, like she wanted to be patted on the head again. Instead, Al picked her up. "Come here, you. If you're my little sister, that means as your big brother I have full tickling rights you know!"

"No!" Elysia giggled as Al tickled her sides.

Ed's grin was impossibly wide. "That includes me, too!" He laughed as she stuck her tongue out at him, and scrambled out of Al's arms, running to her mother's side.

The gifts continued on. Izumi and Sig gave him a new alchemy book that Ed flipped through eagerly. Col. Armstrong also gave him a picture: a very well drawn sketch of Ed, Al, herself, Pinako, and Den, standing in front of Rockbell Automail in Resembool. There even appeared to be sheep in fences in the background. He also professed an offer to demonstrate techniques passed down the Armstrong line for generations, whenever Ed wished. Maria Ross gave him a book on Xingese alchemy, while Denny Brosh gave him a linguistics book to help translate it.

Roy and Riza had sent a typewriter. The note attached said that it had belonged to Riza's father, and that they hoped Ed could use it to type up his notes if he wished, and maybe publish his own Alchemy book someday. Though Ed had made a few mutters that sounded awfully like "bastard" while opening the gift, Winry knew he'd been genuinely happy to get one from them. She'd spent several minutes examining the machine eagerly, before Ed had snatched it away. "Knowing you, you'll want to add a canon to it or something."

"At least I wouldn't transmute it into some kind of freakish gargoyle," she retorted.

Al snickered, and Ed glared at him. "Traitor," he accused. "My own brother too!"

Al rolled his eyes. "Come on brother, you still have one from me and Winry to open."

"Dunno if I want it, now." Ed huffed, crossing his arms and jutting out his chin in defiance.

"Fine," Winry said smoothly. "We'll just take it back, and-"

"No, wait!" Ed snatched their gift off the table, holding it to his chest.

"You got that poker face from me," Pinako said proudly of Winry. "You could fool anyone with that face."

Muttering about how everyone was against him, Ed unwrapped the gift. Much like with Gracia and Elysia's, it was two gifts in one package. Al had given him a new suitcase. "Yours is really beat up brother. It can barely stay clasped anymore!" Winry had given him his old red coat, which she'd stitched up as best as she could.

"I know you made yourself a new one for a while before the promised day, but that one got messed up too. I thought you might want the old one back." She explained. Truthfully, she had _several_ deep birthday kisses she wanted to give him later as well, but that would remain a surprise for now. She settled for giving him one on the cheek, which was enough to make him go red again.

"Well, I guess you guys aren't traitors," He said ruefully, grinning that wide smile of his. Winry thought that she would never get tired of the sight of that smile, and looked forward to a future that let him keep smiling.

Said smile slipped off his face as Hohenheim gave a slight cough, and stepped forward. Ed opened his mouth, glaring, ready to fire off with his usual "what do you want, bastard?" Al stepped hard on his toe, not bothering to try and cover it up. Ed's glare shifted to his brother, and merely grunted in response to his father's presence.

"Well…" Hohenheim hesitated. "Happy birthday, Edward."

Ed grunted again.

Hohenheim was holding a package around the size of a breadbox, with no wrapping. The package itself was worn, and almost looked as if it had been covered in dirt.

"I have a gift." He gestured with the package in his hands. He stepped a little closer. "Actually, its for both you and Alphonse."

Al looked at him in surprise and curiosity.

"Its something I think you boys should have. Something that I think your mother would have wanted you to have."

Ed's glare softened the slightest amount. Taking a deep breath, Hohenheim held out the package to his sons. Slowly, Ed reached for it, Al's hand outstretched with his. They set it in their laps, and flipped open the lid. Winry leaned forward, eyebrows furrowed.

"Your mother has had this box since she was a child," Hohenheim explained. "Every once in a while she would put things in it. Little things, precious things." His eyes had gained a soft light as he stared past his sons, lost in memories. "When we met, she showed me the things in that box, and added a few more. Over the years she would add more things to it, and very often kept it buried in the back yard. She planned on showing you everything inside it once you were a bit older. Once I came back, so that we could look at it as a family." He finished sadly. "As the sickness started to take her, it looks like Trisha wrote several notes about the things in there that I might not know to say."

Ed and Al were picking up a few things inside, seeming to only be half listening to their father. There was a small cloth doll, with orange yarn for hair. There were a few stains on it, and the colors were a little faded. Folded around it was a note, written in Trisha's familiar writing. Even though she had been sick for quite a while, she hadn't let her symptoms show, even in her writing. After staring at it for a moment, Al read aloud. "_This was mine when I was a little girl. Perhaps one of you boys will have a daughter someday, and could pass it on. Her name was Lucy, and my grandmother made it for me."_

Ed and Al fingered the writing with trembling hands. Winry felt tears come to her eyes, and could see Col. Armstrong sobbing quietly out of the corner of her eye. Ed and Al had so few things left of their mother, and not for the first time she wondered if in retrospect the boys regretted burning down their house.

There were a few drawings inside, ones that Winry vaguely recognized from their early childhood. Of Den, the Rockbell house, the swing, a few sheep. _This was before you started drawing alchemy circles, _the note attached said, and Winry could picture Trisha chuckling as she wrote it.

A silver ring, set with what looked like a tiny diamond. "_This ring belonged to my mother," _Al read,_ "She told me that it would be mine one day, but I never ended up wearing it. Perhaps one day you boys will give it to someone."_

There were a few letters, folded up, and a note stuck just outside of them. Al hesitated before reading it aloud. _"Sara and I wrote letters to each other almost all our lives. When she and Urey went off to war, that didn't change. I wasn't able to save all of them, but the last ones are here. Someday, I hope you will share these with Winry, and Pinako."_

Real tears fell, hot on her face, and she heard her grandmother's slight gasp. Winry tried to blink them back. She felt Ed's hand on her back, soothing, and felt herself smile in spite of it. Al glanced at her in concern, and she nodded for him to go on.

A small leather bound journal, not unlike Ed's alchemy journals, was next. "_After I showed this to your father, I insisted that he put in something. It wasn't until some time later that he did, and I had quite forgotten about my request. There's a little alchemy in here, but from what I understand it's mostly about his experiences. It ends just a little after Al was born." _Al choked a little, seeing his name written there.

There were other things inside without notes, like some dried flowers, a few stones, and a very small stuffed bear, no bigger than the palm of her hand, that Winry also vaguely remembered Ed carrying with him until he declared that he was too old for toys like that. There was a near identical bear, just a different color that she clearly remembered as belonging to Al. Ed actually laughed looking at these, rubbing his fingers over the fur, one of the ears nearly worn off.

Lastly, wrapped in paper, was a stack of photographs. They seemed to be ordered by date, and on a few of them Trisha had written on the back. One of the first ones was with an elderly couple, a younger couple with them, the youngest woman's belly rounded with pregnancy. She could see clear bits of Trisha in their faces, and even aspects that she recognized in Ed and Al. They were all smiling. "_My grandparents, and my mother and father. This was taken only a few weeks before I was born. It's the only photograph I have of my grandparents, as they died when I was three."_

Winry saw Ed and Al exchange slight looks. "I never knew," Al admitted.

"Me either," Ed said softly, staring at the photograph.

"We never asked her," Al pointed out, taking a slightly shuddering breath. "Why didn't-" He stopped. After a few moments of silence, he picked up the next object.

The next seemed to be from around five or six years later. A little Trisha, hair in pigtails, grinning, clutching the doll that they'd pulled out of the box earlier. Her parents stood behind her, contentment written in every line of their face. _"A lot of the families in Resembool are pretty large, but I was an only child. I only learned much later that I was the only child my mother didn't miscarry. They were always smiling, always happy to have me, and I would have never wanted anyone else for my parents. I wish you boys could have known them, and that they could have met your father."_

Again, the sad look came to Ed and Al's faces. It looked as if they'd never thought about their grandparents much, just like with their great-grandparents. Winry hadn't ever thought about Trisha's family either. She'd known that Ed and Al didn't have a grandmother the way she did, but it had always just been something that _was_, not something to wonder at.

The next few were simply of Trisha, laughing, playing, flowers in her hair. There was so much that Winry didn't remember about the woman that had been like a second mother to her, and looking at these photographs brought it all back. For all the years that had passed, looking at these helped her to remember the infinite kindness she had possessed, the spirit that had drawn everyone to her. Winry couldn't think of anyone that hadn't liked Trisha.

Hohenheim had gotten a little closer.

The next photo was of Trisha and Hohenheim. Trisha was smiling gently, her hair pulled up in a bun, wearing a light blue summer dress, a crown on flowers on her head. Hohenheim was in a button up white shirt, and looked nervous, his eyes on Trisha, smiling just a little. Winry supposed it could be called a wedding photo, but she knew that the two had never officially gotten married. _"Your father and I never married in the eyes of the law," _Al read, his voice shaking a little. _"But your father is something of a traditionalist, and he wanted us to celebrate in some fashion. So we did. It never mattered that we didn't marry. He is my husband. I am his wife. I never needed a wedding. In my life I've had everything I ever wanted at one point or another, even with what I've lost. This was one of those days that showed me that all over again."_

There was only one more thing left in the box, a tiny note.

_I love you both very much. I hope that these things make you smile. See you soon._

But she wouldn't be seeing her boys soon. She was gone, and in those moments Winry felt the loss of her all over again.

There was silence for several seconds. Ed stood abruptly, turned, and started to leave the room.

"Ed!" Winry and Al called together, half standing themselves. Ed stopped in the entrance to the hallway. He didn't turn around.

"Thanks," he said finally, before walking up the stairs. Hohenheim looked as if he didn't know what to say.

Though Ed came down a few minutes later, having put the box upstairs for safekeeping, the party didn't last much longer. Though the overall feeling in the air was one of contentment, Winry knew that they probably also felt that Ed and Al needed some time to themselves.

As everyone left, Winry watched the brothers. Even though Hohenheim's gift had been a great one, she felt guiltier than ever for what she was about to bring up. _Like attaching Automail limbs. Do it quickly, in one breath. _She'd chickened out of doing it last night like she'd meant to. She had to do it now.

After shaking Hohenheim's hand and closing the door behind him, Winry turned to see Gracia holding a nearly asleep Elysia. "Bed time, sweetheart," Gracia whispered to her daughter, starting to head up the stairs. Winry heard Elysia's mumbled protests, and found herself fighting a slight smile.

Her grandmother put a hand on Winry's arm as she started walking toward Ed and Al. "Good luck," Pinako said. Winry had told her a few days ago of her intentions, and while not thrilled with the idea, she had understood why Winry wanted to do it. Winry had even offered for her grandmother to come with, but Pinako had shook her head, saying that she had all the answers that she needed.

Winry wasn't looking for answers, exactly. But there was unfinished business here, and she wanted some kind of…closure, she supposed.

"Thanks," she whispered, giving her grandmother a quick hug. "I shouldn't be too long. Tonight we can go over those prototype designs that Mr. Garfiel sent over. I think you'll really like them."

"Sure, Winry." Pinako gave a sly smile. "The talk may not take long, but you wishing Ed a very _thorough_ happy birthday might."

Winry laughed, blushing a little, walking past her grandmother to where Ed and Al sat around the coffee table, seeming unsure of what to say. Again, she hesitated. They boys didn't need this right now. They were swimming in bittersweet memories of their mother. They didn't need to be afraid or angry right now. And it was Ed's birthday.

She shook her head, and steeled her resolve. They were leaving in two days. They would need to buy the extra tickets, and there was little time left. Putting it off until tomorrow wouldn't help anything.

She stopped just in front of them, and took a deep breath. "Ed, Al."

They looked up. "Hey, Winry," they said together, both smiling a little.

"D'you…" Ed hesitated. "Later, uh, we could look at those letters, if you wanted."

She felt her breath catch. Al nodded. "We don't want to do it without you, Winry."

She nodded. "That would…be great. Maybe tomorrow would be better though. And, um," she stopped, and then went on quickly, "I need to talk to both of you." She twisted her hands together nervously.

The brother's exchanged glances. "Sure," Al said, standing. "Let's go upstairs. We can talk in mine and Ed's room." He grabbed the cane that was leaning against the couch. Though he could go for longer and longer periods without it, he still tended to use the cane when climbing stairs.

Ed was giving her a hard look. "Is something wrong?"

She shook her head, giving a small smile. "No, I just…need to talk to you both."

She followed Al upstairs, Ed behind her. Their room was the farthest from Elysia's, which Winry knew was why Al had suggested it.

After closing the door behind them, Winry walked to the center of the room, pacing a little. Half of her wanted to sit on the bed, and the other part of her wanted to keep pacing.

"Trying to carve a transmutation circle in the floor?" Ed asked, crossing his arms. She looked at them, and was struck in that moment, as she was sometimes, with how alike they really did look. She took another deep breath, and faced them.

"When we leave in two days, I want to take a slight detour. To go and see Scar."

For approximately two seconds, there was complete silence.

Then Ed was right in her face, eyes blazing. "_Hell_ no!"

"Winry, no! You shouldn't do this!" Al was pale, and took a pleading step toward her.

"You can't do this!" Ed grabbed her arm. "Winry there's no reason- you can't-"

She jerked her arm out of his grip, meeting him stare for stare. "I _can_, and I will!"

"Winry!" Al put a beseeching hand on her shoulder. "Please, you don't- you shouldn't have to-"

"But I _do_ have to!" Winry took a deep breath, trying to calm down.

She realized their reactions weren't about fearing for her safety as it had once been- Scar was a prisoner in Ishval, and could no longer perform his destructive alchemy, thanks to what Mei had done all those months ago. Instead, it was as if they felt like Scar didn't deserve to be in her presence.

"Winry, that fucker doesn't- you don't need to see him!" Ed was practically snarling at the idea.

She took a hard step toward him, her face close to his. "Yes I do, Ed! There's so much I need to talk with him about-"

"Winry, please," Al grabbed her arm too, but much less forcefully than Ed had. "You don't need to hear any of that."

Fury filled her again. "I don't _need_ it? You don't have any right to say what it is I need! Either of you! What do you know about it? Every time I see him I remember what he did, but then I remember that he helped us, and it's all so _confusing_!" She felt tears prick her eyes. _Damn it. _"I need to talk to him. And I want to do it with both of you by my side!" She let that sink in for a moment, watched as for a moment indecision flashed across their faces.

Winry took another deep breath, steeling her resolve. "But I will go alone if I have to."

"Fuck that!" Ed, furious again, ready to go a few more rounds.

"I'm not asking for your _permission_!" Winry glared at him, crossing her arms. "I told you. I'm doing it, whether you guys go with me or not."

This moment brought her back to another day, what seemed so long ago. Freezing in the north, in a desperate situation. The expression on Ed's face was the same it had been that day; loath to put her in this situation, realizing that he couldn't forbid it. Al had been in the armor then, so seeing him this way, with hurt and worried expressions was always something that tugged at her heart more than she would have guessed. Ed's expression hurt her too, but she knew she had to do this. Even though she wasn't sure exactly what she wanted to accomplish, she knew she needed to go there. To see him again, and talk to him. She didn't even want to yell at him anymore. Didn't know what she wanted from him anymore.

He couldn't bring Winry her parents back.

Just like that day in Briggs, she saw the reluctance cross their faces. Ed looked away from her. Al, in contrast, was looking at her hard.

"If…" He hesitated. "If you're sure, Winry."

"I am."

"We're going with you." Ed almost spoke over her, and she glanced at him, relief flooding her as Al immediately agreed.

She closed her eyes, and before either brother could move she threw her arms around them. There was so much of her life, really, that they hadn't been there for, but at the same time in many ways she was loath to do things without them. They belonged with her, and she with them. Always. Even if there was distance between them or they argued, they were going to be there for each other. They were family. She loved them both so much, even if in completely different ways.

After a moment she felt Al's arms encircle her, and then Ed's.

"Thank you," She said softly, and she felt Ed snort. "Yeah." He spoke a little more gently. "Sure, Winry."

"Winry," Al drew back from her, looking at her seriously. "I- we- don't tell you enough, but, thank you, too. For everything you do."

She grinned. "Idiot. No need to thank me."

Ed was blushing a little. "He's right, Winry. You and granny have always been there, and, well…we never really…"

Happiness spread like warmth in her. Before Ed could fumble through another sentence, she kissed Al lightly on the cheek, and Ed full on the mouth. She pulled back, smiling, seeing them both looking at her with identical grins. "I get it."

"Good." Ed took her hand, and her other hand found Al's, and the walked out of the room together.

A little while later, after Al bid them goodnight, Winry felt her nerves return a little. She still owed Ed some birthday kisses (and, considering the news she'd dumped on him, she figured it would be especially welcome). Truthfully, she didn't have that much more experience than he did when it came to kissing. There'd been a boy from Resembool at a festival she'd kissed, and a few years later in Rush Valley she'd received a surprise kiss from a customer around her age. She and Ed had kissed several times now, and while a few had been somewhat deep, it hadn't really progressed, mostly due to the fact that they were all really busy.

They were sitting on the couch downstairs. Ed was next to her, reading one of his new alchemy books with interest. Gracia had gone to bed a few minutes previously, but Winry still felt a little wrong about the idea of necking with Ed on her couch.

"Hey," she said finally, and he didn't look up, instead making a sound that seemed to imply he was half listening.

"Come with me for a second, okay?"

This time he did look up at her, seeming confused, and a little suspicious.

She giggled. "I promise, nothing bad. No announcements."

Grudgingly he sat up, and she led him upstairs. She hesitated a little at the top. Her room seemed a little too forward, but where else could they go? She pressed on, pulling him a little by the hand.

"Winry?" He sounded more confused. She slid the door shut behind him, and turned to face him. He was already a little red, but she took a confident step toward him, trying not to laugh at how Ed looked suddenly like a cornered animal. She twined her arms around his neck, and was surprised when they immediately fell back against the wall, Ed looking nothing short of terrified.

"Ed!" Winry shushed him. "Do you want to wake up everyone? Calm down."

"Right." His voice was a squeak, and she fought the urge to laugh. In moments like this Ed was, quite frankly, _cute_. In a delightfully awkward sort of way.

"I have another birthday present for you," she went on, leaning a little closer.

"Y-you do?"

She nodded, their noses touching. Ed seemed immobilized, his arms frozen at his sides.

"Happy birthday," Winry whispered, pressing her mouth to his.

(-~-~-~-~-~-~-)

His breath misted in front of his face. He felt her approach behind him, full of her warmth.

"Its cold," she said.

"I know." Roy looked back at her and smiled a little. She merely gave him a _look_- one he knew so well.

Their balcony gave them a splendid view of the city. It was late now, (or early depending on how you looked at it) but there were still many lights below, and snow lined the streets. The people. He wondered, idly, how many of them hated him. How many idolized him.

She touched his arm lightly, and he tightened his grip on the handrail. She no longer had to wear a sling, and she was left with minor scarring on her arm from being shot. More scars to add to her collection.

Soon they would be married.

In some ways, the ceremony didn't matter. She was his. He was hers. They'd made vows to each other long before the ones they would be making in a few days. But there was this sense of relief. That everyone in the world would know it too, that they would be bound by law, surrounded by people that they loved. That they would be doing something simple, normal, even.

She'd accepted the responsibility of killing him long before she'd accepted his ring, and in a sense few things were going to change. She was still required to shoot him in the back if needed.

Riza did not ask what he was thinking about. Hell, she was probably able to guess. But sometimes his thoughts were such a swirling mess that it didn't make sense to him half the time.

They'd held a mass funeral just yesterday. He'd said goodbye to good men, women, people he would never have known. Others that he did. Falman, always so straight-faced, dead. Gone. He hadn't learned too much or resisted an authority or been on the wrong side of the war. Maybe he'd just been drinking some punch when the walls collapsed on him. Just in the wrong place. Feury with Automail, the pencil pusher of his subordinates. How much combat had he even seen? And yet, tonight he would be lying down in a hospital, with metal limbs sewn on his body. Winry Rockbell and her grandmother were working to help the injured and dying while he sat behind a desk and tried to convince stubborn men to change laws.

How long had he been Fuhrer? Already a deadly terrorist attack while he was having a party. He hadn't even been the one to kill Kimblee, in the end.

As he had killed Envy.

"Maybe you missed it," he said.

Riza's brows furrowed. "Missed what?"

He smiled bleakly at her. "The opportunity to shoot me in the back."

He wants to tell her not to worry. That he wouldn't trade all his coming years with her for anything, but it's not true. So many people have died and he can't ever make up for it, can't ever be forgiven for it. And truthfully, they may not have all that much time. It's an empty thought. Not even a wish, really. There is the here and the now and no way that he can turn back time. Let himself die so that the others could live. And there's another side to it too: without him, would Riza have died? Would the world have died and gone to the homunculi? Would the peace they are so striving for have been an even further goal?

He has done some good in this world. But he knows that she understands.

"When I killed Envy," he adds. "You were recovering. Didn't have a clear shot. Didn't know. But it happened. I killed because I wanted to, because at first it felt good."

Riza is patient, as always. "And then?"

His answer is simple. "And then it didn't."

Riza put her hand over his own, her touch like fire compared to the icy railing. "You found the path again."

"I still strayed from it." Days from their wedding and he was saying this. How awful was that? But he had to say it now. At first the emotions hadn't fully connected, and now, with everything that had happened, those feelings filled him to the brim.

"If I was supposed to hold you accountable in that regard for past actions, I would have shot you already." She took a breath and went on. "I can't do anything now but look to the future, Roy."

The future. She would be with him, and they would go forward. She didn't tell him that there was no reason to be sad, that they could fix it; she knew that there could be no "fixing".

They fit together like welded glass.

He kissed her, then, suddenly, hard, because in moments like this half of him couldn't believe that she was really standing with him. Her past was stained like his, she was not an innocent thing, not something that needed to be protected (because god knew how many times she'd protected him over the years), was not all bright lights and soothing words. Still, she was something to be cherished; strong and powerful, beautiful, hurting, smarter, often, than he was, and despite the death she'd caused somehow he held her and thought that she was _good_. That with her he could be good too. There were ties between them, of flame and death and fear, but also hope and strength and love.

The dark things were a part of them. The good things were too.

_Look to the future._

Fullmetal would say 'walk forward'.

Hughes had talked about his 'beautiful future'. He had had it, for the shortest of times.

The fallacy came not in thinking that the beautiful future could exist, but in thinking that it couldn't exist after so much pain.

He was looking to that future, with Riza, and moments like this one made it beautiful.

(~-~-~-~-~-~-~)

It wasn't a large event. Truthfully, counting the bride and groom, there would only be around fifteen people there. Still, they wanted it to be beautiful.

The dance hall was a good sized pavilion on the outskirts of town, where many town events, and sometimes festivals, were held. She'd been spending all morning decorating it with her grandmother, Rebecca, and Col. Armstrong. Ed and Al helped a little, but after Ed had alchemized one too many gargoyles, it was decided to give him another job, with Al keeping an eye on him. They were picking up tables and chairs from in town, and were supposed to be coming back with the first load soon.

Winry peeked out the window as she wrapped some ribbons around paper flowers, biting her lip. Most of the guests had arrived already, and Riza and Roy were supposed to be getting there in a few hours. That night they would have a rehearsal, and the next day would be the wedding.

She was so busy; she didn't really have that much time to reflect on what had happened with Scar.

Ed and Al were…quiet, about it. Truthfully, so was she. She hadn't even really discussed it with her grandmother. Winry sighed for a moment, closing her eyes.

_The cells were a little worn, but in fairly good condition all the same. Thanks to some financial aid from Fuhrer Mustang, parts of Ishval had been rebuilt. Due to Scar, one of the first buildings to be completed (outside of a temple and some schools) had been the prison. She had only ever been to the one in Briggs, and in many ways it was very similar. _

_Ed had told her that Scar wouldn't be in prison forever. With his "chi", as Mei had called it, blocked, he was not able to perform his alchemy, and therefore wasn't as much of a danger. The Ishvalan courts had given him a fairly light sentence overall, and he was available for parole within three years. If some of the things Ed had told her were true, she supposed it wasn't any worse than Roy and Riza not being in jail. They'd killed a lot of people too. More than Scar had, probably. It was hard for her thoughts to find a clean definition for what was right here._

_No matter how long Scar was in prison, it wouldn't make her parents any less dead. And if he was out in the world, he could probably help people, as he had helped during the promised day._

_In the end, his sentence was what it was. She hadn't come here to yell at him, or to demand that he make reparations with her. He could never make up for killing her parents._

_The guard brought them down the row where Scar was being held, and she felt Ed's hand tighten in her own. Her other arm was looped with Al's, and she took a deep breath as they pulled in front of the cell._

"_You have a visitor," The guard said, leading them forward._

_They walked in front of the cell. As always, she was never quite prepared to see him. First, there was always a flicker of anger. Then sadness. Confusion. Resolve._

_Scar looked up at them, and surprise flicked across his face. His hair was longer, and there was a healing cut on his face._

"_Why are you here?" He asked softly after a moment, looking away from her. _

"_Don't ask her like that, you-" Ed started furiously. Winry shushed him, stepping on his foot hard. Glaring a little, Ed shut his mouth._

_Winry took a breath, and turned to face Scar again. "What's that cut from?"_

_He touched his cheek with his hand lightly. "A riot. After my trial. Some of my people felt that for working with Amestrians, I should be punished. Rather than for killing people." He looked down at his hands, and clenched them._

_She felt her breath catch, but pressed on. "I hear you could be released in a few years."_

_Ed's grip on her hand tightened, and both he and Al moved closer to her, as if trying to make shields with their bodies to protect her._

_Scar looked up at her, but only for a moment. "Its possible."_

"_What will you do when you're released?"_

_He glanced at her again. It seemed she was not asking any of the questions he expected. "Work with my people. And Amestrians. And anyone I need to work with to make this world better." He hesitated. "No matter how long it takes." He spread out his palms, turning his arm over and looking at his tattoo. "My brother had visions of a better world. So does the Flame Alchemist. There's so much that needs to be done for the cycles of hatred to end."_

_She swallowed back her tears, keeping her voice steady. "Good."_

_His eyes flashed up to hers in surprise again._

"_I can't forgive you," she said quietly. "But I don't think you're a monster anymore." She hesitated. "Keep your word. Make things better. I think you have the power to do that." Winry raised her head, meeting his eyes and holding them for a moment, seeing his astonishment, and sorrow. She gave him a slight nod, and then pulled on Ed and Al, walking away._

_Scar's voice made her footsteps falter for a moment. "You are a very strong person, Winry Rockbell."_

_She didn't respond, and after a moment she kept walking. _

Al had later told her that he'd been surprised at her questions too. She couldn't really explain it. She didn't need to ask him about her parents anymore. She didn't want details, didn't want a reason, because there was no good reason he could possibly give.

Ed had looked at her for a while. She'd even felt his eyes on her when she started to fall asleep on his shoulder. Then, quietly, as she started to drift off, he had whispered: "You are strong, Winry."

She'd fallen asleep with a smile on her face.

She opened her eyes, getting back to work. Thinking about Ed nearly made her flush. Her birthday kisses to him had been very well received once they figured out how to make their faces fit together properly, and how to not knock their teeth together. Not to mention starting to figure out what the other person liked. Ed, she discovered, really liked it when she sucked a little on his bottom lip, and Winry could admit to shivering whenever he kissed her neck.

They'd stopped after what was likely a few hours, though it only felt like fifteen minutes, heading to bed before it became too difficult to break apart. She smiled to herself, setting down the paper flower on the windowsill.

Tomorrow was a wedding. She'd never been to one. Her first one, and she even had a part in being a bridesmaid. Their dresses were simple, inexpensive, and there would be none of the grandeur Winry was sure there would be at the more "public" wedding later in the year. It hardly mattered. Tomorrow was a day for celebration, and she hoped that many more would follow it.

(~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~)

The hall was decorated with ribbons and paper flowers. White tablecloths were draped over the tables, candles lit in the center of each one. The assembled watched the bride and groom, transfixed at the front of procession.

The judge looked toward Roy. "Do you, Roy Mustang, take this woman to be your wedded wife?"

Roy's eyes never left Riza's face. "I do."

"Do you, Riza Hawkeye, take this man to be your wedded husband?"

Riza nodded. "I do."

Winry smiled, unable to help but cry a little. She knew that they had suffered a lot in their lives, and yet they were here today, together, and happy.

Riza looked beautiful. The dress looked a little old fashion wise, but it was lovely. Riza had told her during the rehearsal that it had been her mothers', and that it was one of the few things she had left of her. It was high collared, leaving her arms bare, a thin band at her waist, the dress trailing to the floor, flaring out a little at the end. Her train was also long and flowing, seeming almost to have layers to it, set in waves that moved like water when she walked.

Roy was looking handsome at that. He was in his military uniform, his hair slicked back, smiling softly at Riza.

"May I have the rings, please?"

"Hayate?" Riza called, and the little dog snapped to attention, walking forward from his place in line, carrying a small basket in his teeth. He stopped obediently at their feet, his tail wagging a little. The assembled laughed a little as Riza and Roy bent down, picking up the respective rings.

"I give you this ring, as a daily reminder of my love for you," Roy said softly, sliding the ring easily onto her finger.

Winry couldn't see Riza's face from where she was standing, but knew it would be filled with the same happiness. She slipped the ring on his finger. "I give you this ring, as a daily reminder of my love for you."

Rebecca was grinning like crazy next to her, and in the audience Winry could see several people openly weeping (Col. Armstrong among them). Even Ed wasn't scowling. Instead, he caught her eye, and smiled, blushing a little.

Though it might've seemed a little presumptive, Winry knew she would be standing here with Ed someday. She loved him, and didn't know exactly when it would happen, but knew that someday it would.

"By the power of your love and commitment, and the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss each other." Riza wrapped her arms around Roy's neck, kissing him deeply as their friends cheered.

Winry clapped loudly, resisting the urge to jump up and down.

"Let her breathe!" Havoc called, laughing, as Roy deliberately ignored his subordinate and kissed his new wife more deeply.

Laughter and chatter broke out as they eventually broke apart and started greeting everyone, slowly making their way toward the dinner table. After surviving a hug from Col. Armstrong (though seemingly just barely), they made their way toward Ed and Al. Winry hurried over just in time to hear Ed speak loudly.

"-don't see why we can't just go eat now, they know we're here-"

"Brother," Al rolled his eyes. "Its polite. We're supposed to say how happy we are for them."

"They already know how I feel-"

"Oh, shut up," Winry said, kissing him soundly on the lips. Ed flushed, but didn't say anything else as Riza and Roy approached them, looking a little dazed.

Winry threw her arms around Riza. "I'm so happy for both of you!"

Riza chuckled. "Thank you, Winry."

She pulled back and, after a moment of hesitation, hugged Roy as well. _Ah, well the hell._ Roy laughed. "Careful now, or Fullmetal will burst a blood vessel."

Winry stepped back, taking Ed's hand (who was scowling now) as Al shook Roy and Riza's hands. With minor grumbling in regards to Roy, Ed did the same. After a second he gave them a genuine smile.

After greeting Sheska and her grandmother, they made it to the diner table, Riza and Roy taking their place at the end.

Winry found a place not too far down from them, Al on her left, Ed on her right, her grandma on his other side. Across from her sat Col Armstrong, Sheska, and Gracia, little Elysia on her lap. Further down sat Maria Ross and Denny Brosh, who were conversing quietly, laughing about something. By Roy and Riza sat Rebecca and Havoc, and before they started eating (something that made Ed grumble again) Havoc clinked his glass with his fork.

"I know the best man usually stands, but you'll have to forgive me for this one." He grinned. "Well, those 'o you that know me know that I'm not good with speeches. I was always more of an action guy. So, before I butcher this, I'll try to keep it short." He became more serious. "I don't know very many people that have fought so hard to get to this point, as these two have. They weren't just fighting for each other, but for their country too. I can't understand all the things they've lost to get here, but they've earned it. They've earned this day, and more to come." He raised his glass. "I don't know too many people who suit each other as well as you do. I wish you guys a good life."

Everyone else raised their glasses, and took a drink. The wine tasted strange, and Winry wasn't sure she liked it, but she shook it off. She grabbed Ed's hand with hers, smiling as their fingers laced together. He looked handsome today too. Somehow Al had managed to get him into a button-up shirt, and black slacks. He wasn't wearing a tie, but he –and Al- still both looked great.

Roy stood up, hitting his glass with the side of his fork, smiling a little. "I know its not necessarily traditional for the groom to give a speech now, but there's something I would like to say." He cleared his throat a little. "Thank you all for coming here today. All of you here are my friends, and having you with me now means more than I can say." His hand moved, finding Riza's and holding it. He looked down at their hands for a moment before going on. "I almost can't believe it. With everything that's happened, it's hard to remember that there are days like this. That we can have birthdays and weddings and days where things just slow down and you can breathe." He smiled a little to himself, almost sadly. "I can't say that I'm deserving of these good things, but every moment I am thankful for them. They keep me sane. On the right path." At this, he shared a glance with Riza. "But I'm not here to be sorry for myself, because the truth is..." He gave a true smile now, looking out at them all.

Winry held Ed's hand tighter, glanced at Al's smiling face, and all the smiling faces around her.

"The almost miraculous fact is that I can stand here today. Still burdened with my sorrows, my regrets but stand here happily, with the hope that as long as I- and everyone -walks forward, even in our moments of despair, we will know that this may not be the end. That we may live another day, whether some or even yourselves believe that you do not deserve it, we may live to be happy."

As he raised his glass to the heavens, and Winry followed suit, she reflected on how far she'd come on her own journey. Months ago she'd been in this town and yelled at Hohenheim, stowed away on a train, been in disguise, gotten caught up with the homunculi and crawled her way to safety. She'd seen houses blow up and worked long hours in a hospital. She'd seen Elysia starting to grow up, shared kisses with Ed. Watched with joy every second of Al being here, alive and warm and breathing. She'd been a bridesmaid, and talked with the man that murdered her parents. Lived. Started moving forward instead of staying behind; realized that sometimes it wasn't as simple as following someone, that being at home didn't mean being left behind.

She could see the stars now, through the windows, glittering and bright against the darkness. Sometimes nightmares woke her, screaming, and she knew that would probably continue. Other times she was filled with such joy that she couldn't help but cry.

Winry kissed Ed again, quickly, not caring about the catcalls or the jokes about how she was trying to steal the show from the bride and groom. He blushed a little, but then grinned. "Can't keep your hands off me, can you?"

She laughed, rolling her eyes, holding his hand in hers. They were surrounded by friends and family. The world was changing, and the stars shined above them.

_Move forward._ They would continue on, always. Together.

The End.

* * *

There were a few things I'd kind of wanted to put in here, like a scene with Roy and Riza where they are getting her mother's dress and the like, but as I said at the top this was long enough as it was. :P

Oh, the wedding attire for Roy and Riza was based upon this picture: http : / / f l o w e r - in - the - light .d e v i a n t a r t . com / f a v o u r i t e s / 4 03 0 0 8 6 2 ? o f f s e t = 1 2 0 # / d 6 e r p k

Reviews!

Katsumara: Hello new reader! Sorry it took two years for me to update this thing. :) Thankfully the FMA movie wasn't live action after all.

Larxenethefirefly: Haha, they'll get married soon enough. Thanks! Sorry it took so long.

SJ Smith: Thanks so much! Yeah, I thought about those things, but in all honesty the Scar aspect is one of the few plot points I did actually have planned out for a while. :P Thanks for the grammar notices!

obsidianlight: Yeah, it has really been a while now since I updated. :/ I love writing for Al, but don't do it too often. I tend to alternate between Ed and Winry.

YourFavoritePlushie: Thanks! That scene with Hohenheim and Al is one of my favorites too. Sorry about the lack of Riza last chapter, hope I make up for it a bit here. :) I'm so glad you enjoyed this story.

aosugiru sora: Thanks! Yeah, I'm not surprised you don't remember the plot. Its been ages since I updated. You've been here since the start and its been great getting your reviews each time. I hope this chapter lives up to your expectations.

And that's it! Thanks so much to everyone that's been here through this story. And, now for shameless self-promotion. I have an FMA chapter fic that is completely finished, coming to thirteen chapters long. I wrote it for the FMA big bang two years ago now, and thus far only one person has reviewed it. Not that everyone has to review it, obviously. I don't mean to sound like I'm begging for reviews, but in any case, here's the title and summary:

Title: All Is For The One

Mangaverse, with some mild changes.

Rating: M

Summary: Six years after the promised day, some people are desperate to get revenge.

Characters/pairings: EdWin, AlMei, Royai, LingRan, tons of OCs, slight Havoc/Rebecca.

Till then, enjoy my one-shots and check out this chapter story! Thanks again for all your comments.


End file.
